Markit's Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was at 51.8 points in April this year, up from March’s 50.7 points. Despite Germany’s manufacturing PMI rising to a three-month high in April, the pace of expansion was subdued overall.
The main driver of the rise in the index was an acceleration in the rate at which new business increased, with rising demand reported from both the domestic and foreign markets. Indeed, new export orders rose further during the month, with the rate of growth the most marked since January. Companies commented on stronger demand from China, southern Europe and the US.
In response to rising new work, companies scaled up their production in April, marking three years of continuous growth.