BEIJING, April 30 -- China's non-manufacturing activity maintained expansion for four consecutive months in April thanks to rapidly recovering services and a vibrant construction industry, official data showed Sunday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 56.4 in April, down from 58.2 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics said Sunday.

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

Senior NBS statistician Zhao Qinghe said the recovery of the service sector consolidated, with the sub-index for business activities reaching 55.1, increasing by 15.1 percentage points from the same period last year.

The sub-index of new orders in the service sector stood at 56.4 as demand continued to unleash, while that measuring expectations for business activities came in at 62.3, revealing strong confidence of enterprises.

Meanwhile, the sub-index for construction sector was 63.9 this month, and companies in the sector remained confident about the future of the market.