January Purchasing Managers’ Index shows slight decline

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 02. 18. 12:19

According to a recent report by the Hungarian Logistics, Purchasing and Inventory Association (MLBKT), the seasonally adjusted Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for January 2025 fell to 49.8 points. This result indicates a slight contraction in the domestic manufacturing industry and falls short of both the long-term (52.7) and the January average of the past three years (51.6).

Mixed trends in individual sectors

According to the report, half of the sub-indices examined showed a decrease, while the other half indicated an expansion. Although the volume of new orders increased minimally, by 0.2 percentage points, production volume fell by 2.4 percentage points. Although the employment index improved by 2.3 points, it still remained below 50.0 points, indicating a contraction.

Shipping and inventory changes

The shipping lead time index continued to decline (by 0.7 percentage points), while the purchased inventory index fell dramatically by 10.6 percentage points. External market indicators did not show a favorable picture either: the import index decreased by 1.3 percentage points, and the export index decreased more significantly by 5.0 percentage points. Despite the increase in purchase prices, their index decreased by 5.5 percentage points.

Historical comparison and forecasts

The BMI value for January 2025 is the fifth lowest January figure in the history of the surveys. The slowdown following the spring period of 2024 continues, despite the fact that the year-end data showed a temporary stabilization. Based on the data, manufacturing companies are reacting more cautiously to changes in the economic environment through their purchasing decisions.