BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) --China's express delivery sector expanded slower in April, according to an industry index.

The China express delivery index stood up 100.8 percent last month, down from 101.5 percent in March, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).

The index, compiled based on data from large logistics firms operating delivery services, provides a perspective on business activity in the economy.

The sub-index for delivery activity in the manufacturing industry has rebounded from March with 12 out of 21 sectors above 100 percent.

China has remained the world's largest express delivery market for five consecutive years, accounting for more than half of the global express delivery market.

Chinese delivery firms handled a total of 50.71 billion parcels in 2018, up 26.6 percent from the previous year, while total business revenue grew 21.8 percent year on year to 603.84 billion yuan (around 89.83 billion U.S. dollars).