Finance
French manufacturing production rises at strongest rate in almost four years, PMI shows
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 2, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 2, 2026
Home > Finance > French manufacturing production rises at strongest rate in almost four years, PMI shows
Quick Summary
France's manufacturing sector saw its fastest production growth in four years in January, driven by increased defence spending in Europe, according to the latest PMI data.
France's Manufacturing Sector Sees Strongest Production Growth in Four Years
Overview of Manufacturing Growth
By Sudip Kar-Gupta
PMI and Production Insights
PARIS, Feb 2 (Reuters) - France's manufacturing sector expanded in January and had its fastest increase in production in almost four years, helped by plans to increase defence and military spending in Europe, said a survey by S&P Global on Monday.
Impact of Defence Spending
The HCOB France Manufacturing final PMI rose to 51.2 points in January from 50.7 in December, and slightly beating a flash reading of 51.0 points.
Trade Environment Analysis
That final January manufacturing PMI also marked its highest level since June 2022.
S&P Global said the sector was benefiting from plans in Europe to step up defence and military spending, given the war in Ukraine and political rifts with the United States.
"Although the trade environment remains unsettled by existing tariffs, the reverberations from new U.S. announcements are far less disruptive than they were a year ago," said Hamburg Commercial Bank junior economist Jonas Feldhusen.
"At the same time, Europe's efforts to strengthen its strategic autonomy in defence policy are gaining traction. Together, these two key developments could provide a boost to the manufacturing sector in 2026," he added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Key Takeaways
- •France's manufacturing sector expanded at its fastest rate in four years.
- •The PMI rose to 51.2 in January, up from 50.7 in December.
- •Increased European defence spending boosts manufacturing.
- •Trade environment remains unsettled but less disruptive.
- •Strategic autonomy in defence policy gains traction in Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions about French manufacturing production rises at strongest rate in almost four years, PMI shows
1What is manufacturing?
Manufacturing is the process of converting raw materials into finished goods through the use of labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing.
