The manufacturing upturn in Germany that started in December 2014 continued in August. Although the final seasonally adjusted Markit/BME Germany Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index® (PMI® ) - a single-figure snapshot of the performance of the manufacturing economy - fell from 53.8 in July to a 53.6, it remained above its long-run average (51.9) and signalled a solid improvement in manufacturers operating conditions. August data highlighted a further sharp rise in production volumes at German manufacturers, with the pace of expansion down only slightly from July's 27-month high. Increased demand was the main driver behind the rise in output, according to panel evidence.