The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 47.4 in April, down from 49.5 in March, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Saturday.
A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 reflects contraction.
The resurgence of domestic COVID-19 infections has weighed on China's factory activities and market demand, NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe said.
The sub-index for production stood at 44.4 in April, down 5.1 points from the previous month, and the sub-index for new orders stood at 42.6, down 6.2 points from March.
Saturday's data also showed the PMI for the non-manufacturing sector came in at 41.9 in April, down from 48.4 in March.