The BLOM Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for September shows a historic rebound in Lebanon’s private sector, driven by a rapid rise in production and new orders, despite ongoing concerns over inflation and security.
According to BLOM’s September 2025 PMI results, Lebanon’s private sector activity saw a notable improvement. The index rose from 50.3 points in August to 51.5 points in September, marking the strongest increase since the study began in May 2013.
Jana Bou Matar, research analyst at BLOM Invest, commented, “Record highs in production and new orders reflect a clear strengthening in demand, even though expectations for the next twelve months remain slightly negative due to security concerns.”
She added that the recent government initiative targeting Hezbollah’s disarmament sends a strong signal of state authority, likely boosting confidence and improving investment prospects.
However, the report notes that production input prices rose again at the fastest pace in over two years, reminding authorities that sustaining this recovery into durable growth will depend on controlling inflation and implementing credible reforms.
Key Points – September 2025:
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Production and new orders saw unprecedented growth, marking the second consecutive month of expansion in 2025 and the fastest pace in the index’s history.
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The rise in new orders was mainly driven by domestic demand, while export orders slightly declined, reaching the lowest level in a seven-month contraction series.
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To meet rising sales, private sector firms increased raw material purchases at the end of the third quarter, following a peak in August 2025.
However, despite these gains, the rate of sales growth slowed slightly in September.
In summary, September’s PMI reflects a dynamic return of private sector activity, but maintaining this momentum will depend on security stability, cost control and political commitment to sustainable reforms.
As a reminder, the PMI is an indicator based on the monthly results of 400 companies. It measures private commercial activity.
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