China’s manufacturing sector showed signs of recovery in February as the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.2, surpassing the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. This marks an increase of 1.1 percentage points from January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Saturday.
Zhao Qinghe, a senior statistician at the NBS, attributed the positive shift to the resumption of work and production following the Spring Festival holiday. “The revival of business operations has improved economic vitality,” Zhao said.
The sub-indices for production and new orders climbed to 52.5 and 51.1, respectively, indicating a rapid uptick in manufacturing activity and a rebound in market demand. These figures increased by 2.7 and 1.9 percentage points from the previous month.
China’s non-manufacturing PMI also saw a slight rise, reaching 50.4 in February, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from January. The composite PMI, which combines manufacturing and non-manufacturing data, stood at 51.1, up by 1 percentage point.
Experts suggest that the latest PMI figures signal a stabilizing economy and growing confidence among businesses. The expansion across all three major indicators highlights a positive outlook for China’s economic recovery in the coming months.
