BEIJING -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 54.9 in April, down 1.4 percentage points from the March figure, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.

Expansion of the non-manufacturing sector continued to gather momentum but at a slower pace, said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

In April, the sub-index for business activities in the services sector stood at 54.4, down from 55.2 in March.

Specifically, the sub-indexes for business activities in rail service, air transportation and accommodation came in at above 65, indicating rapid growth of business volume in these areas, according to Zhao.

Friday's data also showed that the PMI for China's manufacturing sector came in at 51.1 in April, slightly down from 51.9 in March.