National Bureau of Statistics: The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector in April was 50.3%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points month-on-month.

On April 30th, the National Bureau of Statistics released the operating status of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) in China for April 2026. The data shows that in April, the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was 50.3%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating overall stability in the manufacturing sector. In terms of enterprise size, the PMI for large enterprises was 50.2%, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the previous month, but still above the critical point; the PMI for medium and small enterprises were 50.5% and 50.1% respectively, an increase of 1.5 and 0.8 percentage points from the previous month, both above the critical point. In terms of classification index, among the five classification indices that make up the manufacturing PMI, the production index and new orders index were both above the critical point, while the raw materials inventory index, employment index, and supplier delivery time index were below the critical point. The production index was 51.5%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating an acceleration in manufacturing production activities. The new orders index was 50.6%, a decrease of 1.0 percentage points from the previous month, but still above the critical point, suggesting continued expansion in manufacturing market demand. The raw materials inventory index was 49.3%, an increase of 1.6 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a significant narrowing in the decline of major raw material inventories in the manufacturing sector. The employment index was 48.8%, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a rebound in the employment level of the manufacturing sector. The supplier delivery time index was 49.5%, unchanged from the previous month, below the critical point, indicating a continued extension in the delivery time of raw materials suppliers in the manufacturing sector. Furthermore, in the non-manufacturing sector, the business activity index was 49.4%, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a slight decline in the overall business activity level in the non-manufacturing sector. In terms of industry, the business activity index for construction was 48.0%, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the previous month; the business activity index for services was 49.6%, a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the previous month. In the service sector, business activity indices for industries such as railway transport, postal services, telecommunications, broadcasting, and satellite transmission services were all above 55.0%, indicating a high level of business activity; however, wholesale, retail, and residential services were below the critical point. These indices provide an overview of the business and manufacturing activities in China in April 2026.