TOKYO, Mar 08 (News On Japan) - Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released its January Household Survey, revealing that the average spending of households with two or more members was 289,467 yen.
In real terms, adjusted for price fluctuations, this represents a significant 6.3% decrease compared to January last year.
This marks the eleventh consecutive month of decline, with the drop being the largest in nearly three years.
A major contributing factor was a 15.7% sharp decrease in "automobile purchase costs."
The decline was influenced by issues such as Daihatsu's suspension of shipments due to improper certification testing.
Additionally, the mild winter led to a 9.4% decrease in "utilities" costs, including electricity and gas bills. Furthermore, there was an 18.4% decrease in package travel expenses due to a backlash from the previous year when national travel support was implemented.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications views this decrease as a result of temporary factors.
Source: ANN
