Japan's consumer sentiment improved for the third straight month in May to the highest level in nearly one-and-a-half years, data from the Cabinet Office showed on Wednesday.
The seasonally adjusted consumer confidence index climbed to 36.0 in May from 35.4 in April. The index was forecast to rise to 36.1.
Further, the latest reading was the highest since January 2022, when it was 36.8.
All sub-indices registered increases in May, except income growth.
The indicator measuring overall livelihood rose by 0.7 points to 32.9, and that for employment gained 0.8 points to 42.8.
The index reflecting households' willingness to buy durable consumer goods climbed to 30.3 from 29.2, while the index for income growth dropped slightly by 0.2 points to 37.9.
The latest survey was conducted on May 15 among 8,400 households.
