Japan’s leading index showed a modest improvement at the start of 2026, suggesting a slight pickup in forward-looking economic momentum. According to the latest data updated on 6 February 2026, the indicator rose 0.3% in January 2026 on a month-over-month basis, compared with a 0.1% increase in November 2025.
The figures are based on month-over-month comparisons, where the “actual” reflects the change in January versus the previous month, and the “previous” reflects November’s change versus the month before it. The data imply that while growth signals remain moderate, January marks a stronger advance than late 2025, potentially indicating a cautiously improving outlook for Japan’s economy at the beginning of the year.
