BEIJING -- China's non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in May, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from the previous month, according to official data released on Sunday by the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.
The sub-index for business activity in the service sector stood at 50.3 percent, moving into the expansion zone and rising 0.7 percentage points from April. This indicates a steady recovery in service sector operations across the country.
While the air transport and real estate sectors experienced subdued market activity during the month, other key service industries showed robust growth. Railway transport, along with telecommunications, broadcasting, satellite transmission services, and the insurance sector, remained in a high-prosperity zone with rapid expansion in overall business volume.
The business expectation index for the service sector reached 55.4 in May, reflecting strengthened optimism and a positive outlook for future market developments among industry participants.
In the construction sector, the business activity sub-index increased by 0.8 percentage points to 48.8 this month. Meanwhile, the business expectation index for construction expanded by 1 percentage point to 51.5, suggesting cautious but improving confidence in infrastructure and building projects.
Sunday's data also revealed that the PMI for China's manufacturing sector held steady at 50 in May, exactly at the threshold separating expansion from contraction. The composite PMI output index, which covers both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, rose from 50.1 to 50.5, pointing to a broad-based stabilization in economic activity.
These figures highlight the ongoing resilience of China's service economy and the gradual stabilization of its broader industrial and construction sectors amid domestic policy support and shifting global market conditions.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics and China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (via State Council).
