Japan's household spending in fiscal 2020 fell a real 4.9% from a year earlier, posting the second-sharpest drop on record as the coronavirus pandemic forced many people to refrain from eating out and taking trips, government data showed Tuesday.
For March alone, meanwhile, average spending by households with two or more people rose a real 6.2% from a year earlier, the third-largest monthly increase since comparable data became available in January 2001, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Spending by households with two or more people averaged ¥276,167 ($2,500) per month in the fiscal year through March, decreasing for the second straight year.