{"id":4519,"date":"2026-06-01T02:31:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T02:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finznest.com\/blog\/chinas-factory-activity-beats-forecasts-in-may-private-survey-shows-despite-softer-official-data\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T02:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T02:31:51","slug":"chinas-factory-activity-beats-forecasts-in-may-private-survey-shows-despite-softer-official-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finznest.com\/blog\/chinas-factory-activity-beats-forecasts-in-may-private-survey-shows-despite-softer-official-data\/","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s factory activity beats forecasts in May, private survey shows, despite softer official data"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Workers make US flags ahead of the 2026 World Cup football tournament, at a factory in Qingdao, in China’s Shandong province on May 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

– | Afp | Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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BEIJING \u2014 China’s factory activity expanded in May, a private survey showed Monday, beating expectations, although growth slowed from the previous month.<\/p>\n

The RatingDog China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by S&P Global, came in at 51.8, a touch above the 51.6 expected in a Reuters poll. <\/p>\n

The reading was down from April’s 52.2, indicating a slower pace of improvement in manufacturing conditions. The 50 mark separates expansion from contraction.<\/p>\n

“While the rate of growth eased, it remained among the highest observed over the past five years,” said Yao Yu, founder of credit research firm RatingDog.<\/p>\n

New export business saw a slight decline in May, the RatingDog PMI report said, while employment also “contracted marginally.” <\/p>\n

Seasonally adjusted input prices fell in May from the prior month for the first time in half a year, although costs remained elevated due to higher prices for raw materials and energy, as well as supply chain disruptions, the report said.<\/p>\n

The private survey of Chinese manufacturers noted optimism for growth over the next 12 months, based partly on “new product launches, technological breakthroughs and improved production capacity.”<\/p>\n

China’s official manufacturing PMI for May fell to 50 in May from 50.3 in April, in line with expectations and its lowest since a 49 print in February, according to data released Sunday.<\/p>\n

Overall, the official PMI suggests “subdued manufacturing sector growth, increased services activity, and continued decline in the construction industry,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report Sunday.<\/p>\n

While China’s retail sales growth hit a 40-month low in April, official figures showed overall domestic tourism and spending picked up during an extended May 1 holiday. Chinese hotel group H World