ASEAN's manufacturing PMI up in November

It rose to 53 driven by new orders and output.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in the ASEAN region rose to 53 in November from 52.7 in October, S&P Global said in its ASEAN manufacturing PMI survey.

The region's strong performance in the second half of 2025 was the third-strongest improvement in the sector’s history after headline indexes were recorded in October 2021 and September 2022.

Acceleration in the growth of new orders and output drove sharp PMI improvement in November, it added.  

To meet growing output requirements, ASEAN firms purchased additional inputs in November that drove the pace of growth the fastest since March 2024.

Employment rose minimally for a third straight month in November, resulting in a buildup of backlogs in the month.

Operating expenses increased sharply in the same month, as output prices raised as a result of increasing input costs, S&P said.

Looking ahead, firms remained confident of a rise in output in the year ahead, it added.