The following is an extract from IHS Markit's monthly PMI overview presentation. For the full report please click on the link at the bottom of the article.

Global economic growth accelerated in March, buoyed by a rejuvenated service sector accompanying further manufacturing growth. At 54.8, up from 53.2 in February, the JPMorgan Global PMI™ (compiled by IHS Markit), hit its highest since August 2014. The sustained expansion took the recent run of growth into its ninth straight month. Manufacturing continued to expand at an impressive pace, with growth accelerating to one of the fastest seen since 2011 despite near record supply delays and shortages of inputs. However, it was the service sector which saw the biggest improvement in March, with growth jumping to the highest since June 2018.

Faster service sector growth coincided with a further easing of measures to control further outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus. IHS Markit's Global COVID-19 Containment Index fell from 46 in February to 40 in March, its lowest since last October, as restrictions were eased on average around the world for a second successive month.

Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist, IHS Markit

Tel: +44 207 260 2329

chris.williamson@ihsmarkit.com

© 2021, IHS Markit Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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Purchasing Managers' Index™ (PMI™) data are compiled by IHS Markit for more than 40 economies worldwide. The monthly data are derived from surveys of senior executives at private sector companies, and are available only via subscription. The PMI dataset features a headline number, which indicates the overall health of an economy, and sub-indices, which provide insights into other key economic drivers such as GDP, inflation, exports, capacity utilization, employment and inventories. The PMI data are used by financial and corporate professionals to better understand where economies and markets are headed, and to uncover opportunities.

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This article was published by S&P Global Market Intelligence and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.