Japan's core consumer prices in February rose 0.6% from a year earlier as energy costs surged at the fastest pace in 41 years amid higher oil prices, government data showed Friday, suggesting further increases amid the fallout from the Ukraine crisis.
The nationwide core consumer price index, excluding volatile fresh food items, advanced for the sixth straight month following a 0.2% rise in January, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said.
Energy costs such as gasoline and electricity soared 20.5%, the steepest rise since January 1981, reflecting higher crude oil prices amid the global economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The figure compared with a 17.9% increase in the previous month.