Production and new order volumes continued to rise at robust rates, as companies benefited from strong domestic market conditions and rising inflows of new export business. Price pressures remained elevated, however, with rates of inflation in input costs and output charges both accelerating and staying well above historical series averages.

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index registered 56.3 in October, up from 56.0 in September (revised from the original reading of 55.9). The headline PMI has now signalled expansion for 15 consecutive months. Responses from the latest survey were collected between 12-26 October.