The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported on Friday that Japan's average household spending experienced an unexpected decline in April, following gains in the preceding two months.
Household spending fell by 1.2 percent month-over-month in April, counteracting the 1.2 percent increase observed in March. Economists had anticipated a modest 0.2 percent rise.
On an annual comparison, household spending showed a recovery, increasing by 0.5 percent in April after a 1.2 percent decrease in March. This marked the first year-on-year increase since March 2023.
The average monthly income per household stood at 566,457 yen, reflecting a 0.6 percent decrease from the previous year.
