BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 49 in July, down from the previous month's 50.2, official data showed on Friday.

The sub-index for business activity in the construction sector stood at 47 in July, dropping from 49 in June, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The sub-index for business activity in the broad service sector declined to 49.3 in July from 50.4 the previous month. Among service industries, the PMI readings for postal services, telecommunications, broadcasting and satellite transmission services, as well as culture, sports and entertainment, remained in the high prosperity range of above 55, the data revealed.

As an indicator of macroeconomic trends, a PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion while a reading below 50 signals contraction.

The new orders index for the non-manufacturing sector declined last month, indicating a reduction in market demand. Specifically, the readings for the construction sector and service sector stood at 40.1 and 45.2, respectively.

However, the business activity expectation index for the construction sector rose to 51.8 in July, up from 51.1 in June, while that for the service sector came in at 56, unchanged from the previous month, the data showed.

Friday's data also revealed that manufacturing PMI came in at 49.2, while the composite PMI output index stood at 49.3 this month. ■