The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.8 in March 2026 from 52.1 in February, signaling a slowdown in factory expansion and below the expected 51.6. Output and new orders continued to rise, though at a slower pace, with production expanding for the fourth consecutive month. Backlogs increased as demand outpaced production, while employment rose for the third month, marking the longest stretch of job creation since mid-2021. Buying activity continued to expand, lifting input stocks slightly, though finished goods inventories contracted marginally. Supplier delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent since December 2022. Input price inflation surged to its highest since March 2022, while output price inflation hit a four-year peak, driven by rising energy costs amid Middle East tensions. Despite these pressures, manufacturers remained optimistic for production over the next 12 months, supported by stronger demand, capacity investment, and government policies. source: S&P Global

Manufacturing PMI in China decreased to 50.80 points in March from 52.10 points in February of 2026. Manufacturing PMI in China averaged 50.14 points from 2011 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 54.90 points in November of 2020 and a record low of 40.30 points in February of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - China Manufacturing PMI - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Manufacturing PMI in China decreased to 50.80 points in March from 52.10 points in February of 2026. Manufacturing PMI in China is expected to be 50.80 points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the China RatingDog Manufacturing PMI is projected to trend around 50.60 points in 2027 and 50.70 points in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Business Conditions Index 52.40 53.70 points Feb 2026
NBS Manufacturing PMI 50.40 49.00 points Mar 2026
Industrial Capacity Utilization 74.90 74.60 percent Dec 2025
Passanger Car Production 1400000.00 2062000.00 Units Feb 2026
Passenger Car Sales 1034000.00 1544000.00 Units Feb 2026
Cement Production 17827.00 14416.40 Ten Thousands of Tonnes Feb 2026
Changes in Inventories 10002.90 8740.00 CNY Hundred Million Dec 2024
Composite Leading Indicator 98.49 98.51 points Mar 2026
Industrial Profits (YTD) YoY 1024560.00 7398200.00 CNY Million Feb 2026
Corruption Index 43.00 43.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 76.00 76.00 Dec 2025
Electricity Production 1571790.00 858620.00 Gigawatt-hour Feb 2026
Industrial Production YoY 6.30 5.20 percent Feb 2026
Industrial Production Mom 0.83 0.39 percent Feb 2026
Leading Economic Index 145.10 144.90 points Feb 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 6.60 5.70 percent Feb 2026
Mining Production 6.10 5.40 percent Feb 2026
New Orders 51.60 48.60 points Mar 2026
Steel Production 76100.00 75300.00 Thousand Tonnes Feb 2026
Vehicle Sales YoY 2899000.00 1801000.00 Units Mar 2026


China RatingDog Manufacturing PMI
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI, compiled by S&P Global, is based on monthly surveys of around 650 manufacturers across sectors and company sizes, weighted by GDP contribution. Conducted in the second half of each month, the survey tracks changes from the prior month using a diffusion index, where readings above 50 signal improvement and below 50 signal deterioration. The headline PMI is a weighted average of five components: New Orders (30%), Output (25%), Employment (20%), Suppliers’ Delivery Times (15%, inverted), and Stocks of Purchases (10%). Results are seasonally adjusted, with only adjustment factors subject to revision, not the original survey data. This is only a limited sample of PMI headline data displayed on the Customer’s service, under licence from S&P Global. Full historic PMI headline data and all other PMI sub-index data and histories are available on subscription from S&P Global. Contact economics@spglobal.com for more details.

News Stream
China Factory Growth Slows More Than Expected
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI fell to 50.8 in March 2026 from 52.1 in February, signaling a slowdown in factory expansion and below the expected 51.6. Output and new orders continued to rise, though at a slower pace, with production expanding for the fourth consecutive month. Backlogs increased as demand outpaced production, while employment rose for the third month, marking the longest stretch of job creation since mid-2021. Buying activity continued to expand, lifting input stocks slightly, though finished goods inventories contracted marginally. Supplier delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent since December 2022. Input price inflation surged to its highest since March 2022, while output price inflation hit a four-year peak, driven by rising energy costs amid Middle East tensions. Despite these pressures, manufacturers remained optimistic for production over the next 12 months, supported by stronger demand, capacity investment, and government policies.
2026-04-01
China Manufacturing Growth at Over 5-Year High
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI rose to 52.1 in February 2026 from 50.3 in January, the highest since December 2020 and marking a third straight month of factory expansion. Output grew the most since June 2024, while new orders increased for a ninth month, with growth the strongest since December 2020. Foreign demand saw its sharpest rise since September 2020. Backlogs increased and employment edged up for a second month, the first back-to-back rise since mid-2021. Buying activity expanded at the fastest pace since November 2024, lifting input stocks as supplier delivery times shortened slightly. Input cost inflation rose to its highest since June 2022, partly due to higher metal prices, though still below the long-run average. Output price inflation hit a 15-month high, while confidence rose to an 11-month peak. The result differed from an official survey showing factory activity contracted for a second month in February.
2026-03-04
China Manufacturing PMI Hits 3-Month High
The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI increased to 50.3 in January 2026 from December’s reading of 50.1, in line with market forecasts. The latest reading indicated a slight expansion in factory activity but the fastest growth since last October, as output growth accelerated modestly amid higher new orders, supported by a fresh rise in new export orders. In response to rising new orders and production, firms raised their staffing levels for the first time in three months, albeit only marginally. Purchasing activity increased, while supply conditions were unchanged. Regarding prices, input cost inflation accelerated to its highest level since last September due to higher metal prices. As a result, selling prices rose for the first time since November 2024. Looking ahead, business sentiment weakened to a nine-month low amid concerns over the outlook for economic growth and rising cost pressures.
2026-02-02