China’s manufacturing activity returned to expansion territory in September, while activity in the non-manufacturing sector also improved, according to official data reported by Chinese state media on Wednesday.
The country’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in September, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from August.
The reading brought the manufacturing gauge back above the key 50-point threshold separating expansion from contraction.
The improvement suggests that manufacturing conditions stabilised in September after the index remained below the expansion threshold in the previous month.
Meanwhile, China’s non-manufacturing PMI increased to 50.2, up 1.2 percentage points from its August level.
The non-manufacturing index covers activity outside the factory sector, including services and construction. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion in business activity compared with the previous month, while a reading below 50 signals contraction.
The simultaneous improvement in both gauges points to firmer business activity across China’s manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors entering the final quarter of 2026.
The latest PMI readings will be closely watched for further indications of the momentum in the world’s second-largest economy, particularly as policymakers seek to sustain domestic economic activity.
