The index, calculated on the basis of business surveys, rose to 55.8, after 54.9 in March.
A figure above 50 signals an increase in activity, while it signals a decrease when it is below this threshold.
“The eurozone economy therefore started the second quarter of 2022 on a stronger footing than expected, avoiding the slowdown expected by many experts,” commented Chris Williamson, chief economist of S&P Global, quoted in a press release. .
However, he highlighted the imbalances in growth.
Activity continues to grow rapidly in services, thanks to the lifting of restrictive measures taken during the pandemic, while the industry now finds itself in virtual stagnation.
“The weakness of the manufacturing sector remains a major source of concern while the continued increase in the cost of living could seriously hamper the growth of the service sector, once the rebound linked to the reopening of the economy passes. Williamson.
The automotive sector was the most severely affected, "its production levels fell sharply in April, at a faster pace than the previous month", noted S&P Global.
Companies that have suffered production cuts attribute their difficulties to severe tensions in supply chains, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine and the implementation of new confinements in China to fight against Covid-19.
Activity evolved in different ways in April depending on the country.
In Germany, the largest economy in the euro zone, the growth rate fell to the lowest level for three months, the good performance of services failing to offset the first drop in production observed in the manufacturing industry since June 2020.
In France, on the other hand, the expansion accelerated and reached its highest level since January 2018, thanks to continued modest growth in the manufacturing industry and a sharp increase in activity in the services sector.
© 2022 AFP