Guangzhou (JLC), September 30, 2025--China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) continued to rise in September, indicating a sustained improvement in the sector, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS).
The manufacturing PMI stood at 49.8%, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous month.
In breakdown, the production index rose to 51.9% in September, hitting a nearly six-month high, the NBS data shows.
On the demand side, the new orders index increased by 0.2 percentage points month on month to 49.7%, reflecting a steady recovery in market demand and a gradual improvement in the production and sales cycle.
The business activity expectation index reached 54.1% in the month, up 0.4 percentage points from the month before, marking the third consecutive month of increase and showing a more positive market outlook.
In terms of enterprise size, the PMI for large enterprises remained in expansion territory at 51.0% in September, up 0.2 percentage points from August. Meanwhile, the index for medium-sized firms dipped to 48.8%, while that for small enterprises improved to 48.2%.
Some key sectors maintained growth momentum, with PMI for equipment manufacturing, high-tech manufacturing, and the consumer goods industries standing at 51.9%, 51.6%, and 50.6% respectively, indicating that economic transformation and upgrading are taking effect.
The non-manufacturing PMI, which covers services and construction, came in at 50.0% in September, down 0.3 percentage points from August. The new orders index fell 0.6 percentage points, suggesting cooling demand within the sector.
The composite PMI output index, which combines manufacturing and non-manufacturing activity, registered 50.6% in September, increasing slightly from August. This indicates that China's overall economic expansion accelerated marginally.
