Japan's Household Spending Falls as Inflation Stays Elevated

Japan's household spending unexpectedly declined in April as elevated inflation deterred discretionary spending, in a worrisome sign for policymakers after the economy began contracting even before US tariff measures fully kicked in.
Outlays by households, adjusted for inflation, fell 0.1% from a year earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported Friday. The result compared with the median economist estimate of a 1.5% gain. The decline was led by health care and miscellaneous spending.

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