Business · Economy · 6 hrs ago
Japan household spending falls 6.8% in September
Japan's household spending fell 6.8% in September compared with the same month a year earlier, marking a 10th straight monthly decline.
The figures cover households with two or more people, whose average monthly spending was 289,536 yen.
This was the biggest fall since September 2020, when spending dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Heavy rain, typhoons and unusually low temperatures discouraged shopping and reduced demand for items such as clothing, drinks and air conditioners.
Food spending also fell for a fourth month, with consumers choosing cheaper rice as prices remained high.
The decline matters because household spending makes up more than half of Japan's gross domestic product, and the data do not yet show how much was due to prices versus weather.
The September figures were released by the government; they provide no forecast for what spending will do next.
Japan’s household spending fell 6.8% in real terms in September from a year earlier, the largest decline since September 2020.
Spending by households of two or more people totalled ¥289,536.
The decline marked the 10th consecutive month of falling real household spending.
Inflation and unsettled weather, including typhoons and prolonged rain, weighed on spending across a range of categories.
Food spending fell 2.5%, while rice purchases dropped 23.7% and clothing purchases also declined.
- Who
- Households of two or more people in Japan.
- What
- Real household spending fell 6.8% year on year in September.
- When
- September 2026; the results were announced on November 10.
- Where
- Japan.
- Why
- Inflation reduced demand, while unsettled weather limited spending opportunities. Spending on donations also fell after a rush ahead of a system change in October 2025.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Real household spending fell 10.2% year on year, during the COVID-19 pandemic and after a consumption-tax increase the previous year.
Donations surged ahead of a change to Japan’s hometown-tax donation system the following month.
Real household spending fell 6.8% year on year, with inflation and unsettled weather weighing on outlays.
Japan’s government released the September household survey results.
- Real spending change
- Down 6.8% year on year
- Household spending total
- ¥289,536 for households of two or more people
- Length of decline
- 10 consecutive months
- Food spending
- Down 2.5% in real terms
- Rice purchases
- Down 23.7% in real terms
- Market forecast
- Median forecast was a 3.1% real decline