Lego has overtaken Barbie to become the world's top selling manufacturer of toys, according to sales figures in the first half of this year.

The Danish toy manufacturer saw a boost in sales following the huge success of The Lego Movie, which was released in February.

The Lego Movie toy range features 16 new figurines of the main characters from the film, including William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, Panda Guy.

Lego reported an 11 percent boost in sales to July, lifting it above Barbie-manufacturer Mattel which has seen a decline in sales. It is too early to say whether full-year sales will confirm Lego's new status as the world's top-selling toy.

Other classic toy ranges such as Lego City, Lego Technic and Lego Star Wars "continues to deliver very strong growth," according to CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp.

Global sales of Barbie have been in decline in recent years Credit: REUTERS/Edgar Su

The Lego Group was founded in 1932 in Denmark. The present form of interlocking brick, with which Lego has become synonymous, did not appear until 1958. It took another 20 years for the first Lego figurine with movable arms and legs to appear.

Some of Lego's most successful lines have been in conjunction with films, starting with Lego Star Wars in 1999, which continues to sell well. Other film-based product lines include Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Toy Story.

Lego introduced its first architecture toy set with the Sears tower in 2008. Other landmarks include the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and Taj Mahal.