Japan year-on-year household spending drops for 8 straight months

Price tags of items are displayed at a retail store in Tokyo, Japan July, 27, 2026. REUTERS/Issei Kato 04 Sep 2026 07:48AM TOKYO, Sept 4 : Japanese household spending fell more than expected in July from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, for an eighth straight month of declines. • Consumer spending fell 3.6 per cent year-on-year, data from the internal affairs ministry showed, more than the median market forecast for a 1.6 per cent drop%.• On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, spending edged up 0.5 per cent versus an estimated 2.6 jump%.• The indicator will be among factors the Bank of Japan will scrutinise as it decides whether to raise interest rates as early as this month. Source: Reuters