Apr 06 (NHK) - A Bank of Japan survey shows that an increasing number of people feel they have become worse off, mainly because of rising prices. The central bank carries out the poll every 3 months to gauge consumer sentiment.
The respondents were asked if they feel better off or worse off compared to a year ago. 73 percent said prices have gone up slightly or significantly. That's an increase of more than 6 percentage points from the previous survey.
The survey's index of household sentiment stood at minus 35.3, down 1.6 points.
BOJ officials say higher prices of vegetables and gasoline are the main factors behind these results.
They say they're waiting to see if the next survey will reflect the salary increases agreed upon during the annual wage negotiations.
