Global chip sales jump 11% in April as AI demand accelerates

SIA reported global semiconductor sales rose 11% month-to-month in April 2026, extending a streak of record monthly gains driven by AI demand.semiconductors
WSTS revised its 2026 forecast to $1.51 trillion — up from $975 billion projected late last year — with memory chips expected to surge roughly 250%.digitimes
SEMI reported record equipment billings of $36.55 billion in Q1 2026, up 14% year-over-year, fueled by AI capacity buildouts.yahoo

Global Semiconductor Sales Jump 11% Month-to-Month in April as Industry Races Toward $1.5 Trillion Year

The Semiconductor Industry Association reported on June 5 that worldwide chip sales rose 11% month-to-month in April 2026, continuing a streak of record-breaking monthly gains fueled by insatiable demand for AI infrastructure. The announcement caps a week of bullish data points for the semiconductor sector, with industry forecasters now projecting the global market will nearly double in size this year.indexbox

AI and Memory Drive Unprecedented Growth

April’s sales followed March 2026 totals of $99.5 billion, which themselves represented a 79.2% year-over-year increase and an 11.5% sequential gain. The industry entered 2026 at extraordinary speed after posting record annual sales of $791.7 billion in 2025. Monthly sales have accelerated sharply from $82.5 billion in January to $88.8 billion in February and $99.5 billion in March.semiwiki

The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization released its Spring 2026 forecast on June 2, projecting the global semiconductor market will grow 90% year-over-year to reach $1.51 trillion in 2026. That figure represents a dramatic upward revision from the $975 billion forecast WSTS issued in late 2025. The surge is overwhelmingly driven by the memory segment, which WSTS expects to grow approximately 250% year-over-year to more than $800 billion in 2026. For 2027, WSTS forecasts a further 27% expansion to approximately $1.9 trillion.wsts

Equipment Billings Hit Record on AI Capacity Buildout

Separately, SEMI reported on June 4 that global semiconductor equipment billings reached a record $36.55 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a 14% increase year-over-year and 1% sequentially. SEMI attributed the record quarterly billings to persistent investments in AI, particularly capacity enhancements and technological upgrades supporting cutting-edge logic, DRAM, and advanced packaging.yahoo

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said in May that it expects the global chip market to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, while expanding its Arizona operations with equipment installation at a second fabrication facility scheduled for the latter half of 2026.reuters

The convergence of record monthly sales, upwardly revised annual forecasts, and surging equipment investment points to an industry being reshaped by AI demand at a pace few anticipated even months ago — WSTS’s 2026 projection has risen by more than $500 billion since its late-2025 estimate.linkedin