Monthly household spending in June dropped a real 0.1 percent from a year ago to an average of 283,332, yen marking the third consecutive month of decline, the government said Friday.
The drop was mainly attributed to falls in education and food expenses, the International Affairs and Communications Ministry said in a preliminary report.
Spending on education fell 12.2 percent to 8,224 yen in June, due to drops in spending on textbooks and regular and supplementary tuition fees.
Food spending fell 0.8 percent to 66,483, yen while drops in spending on meat, fish, alcoholic beverages and other items more than offset gains in such items as nonalcoholic beverages, vegetables and heat-and-serve meals.