Recent monthly indicators from the consumer sector have been surprisingly weak. This contrasts with the strength of household spending in the GDP data over the last year or so, and raises concerns that the Japanese consumer is beginning to flag. In this Focus we assess the possible causes of this apparent softness. While we conclude that this softness is likely to be only temporary, the prospect of a rebound in the savings rate is an important risk for the longer-term.
Subscriber content
Read this in full, free
Start a free trial and use one of your 10 free starter credits to unlock this piece.