Japan's Household Spending Slows in Jan.

   Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press)--Household spending in Japan slowed in January from the previous month as expenditures on food declined for the fourth straight month, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday.
   Consumption spending by households with two or more members rose 0.8 pct in January from a year before in inflation-adjusted real terms to 305,521 yen on average, after a 2.7 pct increase in December.
   Home-related expenditures jumped 39.2 pct because of higher costs for exterior wall and fence work.
   Spending on electricity and city gas rose 2.0 pct and 2.6 pct, respectively, due to increased use of heating amid low temperatures and the expiration of government subsidies.
   Expenditures on education rose 9.9 pct. Payments of entrance examination and enrollment fees may have increased in response to a rise in the number of applicants to private universities, according to a ministry official.

(2025/03/11-14:29)

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