Russia's Services PMI Edges Up to 49 in July as Manufacturing Grows

Russia's services sector remained in contraction territory in July 2026, according to data from S&P Global reported by TASS, even as manufacturing activity returned to growth. The services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 49 points from 48.2 in June, marking a slight improvement but still below the 50-point threshold that separates expansion from contraction.

In contrast, the manufacturing PMI increased to 50.7 in July from 50.3 in June, indicating the strongest growth in manufacturing activity since January 2025, TASS reported citing the S&P Global study.

Coverage Comparison

The reporting on both indices comes exclusively from TASS, the Russian state news agency, which published separate articles on the manufacturing and services data. TASS presented the manufacturing figures in a neutral tone, emphasizing the positive headline of rising activity, while the services coverage highlighted the continued decline in output levels despite the index's uptick.

Key Claims

  • The Russian Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 50.7 in July 2026 from 50.3 a month earlier, as reported by TASS.
  • Total new sales rose for the second consecutive month in July, with the pace of growth accelerating to the highest since May 2025, according to TASS.
  • Demand conditions improved, with companies also reporting new customers, TASS reported.
  • New export orders fell sharply, marking the steepest decline since October 2022, TASS noted.
  • An increase in new orders contributed to a more significant increase in output among goods manufacturers at the beginning of the third quarter, TASS stated.
  • The Russian services business activity index (PMI) rose to 49 points in July 2026 from 48.2 points in the previous month, as reported by TASS.
  • Output levels at service providers decreased, the slowest in three months, due to weak client demand and a further decline in new business inflows, TASS cited from S&P Global.
  • New orders fell for the fourth consecutive month at the start of the third quarter, with the rate of decline slowing to the lowest in three months, TASS reported.
  • Firms lowered their staffing numbers amid reports of sufficient capacity and a continued depletion of backlogs of work, albeit with the rate of job shedding cooling from the month before, TASS stated.
  • The level of business optimism ticked up but remained well below the series trend, TASS reported.

Perspectives

No distinct viewpoints from named parties other than S&P Global and TASS were available in the provided material.