China's manufacturing PMI falls back below 50 in October
China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index fell to 49.3 in October from 50.1 in September, according to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics on 31 October 2026.
The 0.8-point decline puts the survey below the 50 threshold separating expansion from contraction compared with the previous month. It follows September's return above that threshold.
The production index fell to 49.8 from 51.7 in September. New orders dropped to 49.4 from 50.5, indicating weaker conditions in both production and demand in this survey.
These indices describe surveyed companies' responses and are not industrial output growth rates. The release provides an indication of October's business conditions, without by itself establishing the path of gross domestic product.