China's factory activity improved slightly in November, but was still below the 50-point mark that separates contraction from expansion, official data showed on Sunday.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's official purchasing managers index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.2 in November, up from 49 in October.

Huo Lihui, an NBS statistician, said improvement was supported by recovery in both supply and demand, with a noticeable upturn in gauges for production and new orders.

The sub-index for production was 50 in November versus 49.7 in October, while the gauge for new orders came in at 49.2 in November, up from 48.8 in October, the NBS reported.

Notably, the PMI for high-tech manufacturing came in at 50.1 in November, remaining in expansion territory for the tenth consecutive month.

China's non-manufacturing PMI, which includes subindexes for service sector activity and construction, came in at 49.5 in November, down from 50.1 in October. And the services PMI dipped slightly to 49.5 in November from 50.2 in October.

The country's official composite PMI, which encompasses both manufacturing and non-manufacturing activities, declined from 50 in October to 49.7 in November, NBS data showed.