Nearly half of college students in Japan worry about living costs, a survey by the National Federation of University Cooperative Associations has shown.

"High prices are affecting college life significantly," an official from the federation said, also referring to students' big concerns about repaying student loans. "We're concerned that the situation will continue."

The survey was conducted online from last October to November with 48,275 undergraduate students at public and private universities across the country. Of them, 11,590 gave valid responses.

On their daily concerns, with multiple answers allowed, 46.8% of the responses mentioned "living costs and money."

"Studying" was chosen by 44.7%, followed by "getting a job," mentioned by 37.8%.

The share of responses referring to "living costs and money" renewed its highest figure on record for three straight years.

Among open-ended answers, some said that high prices are pressuring their finances, while others said they refrain from buying things more often than they have previously.

One answer expressed anxiety, saying, "I'm scared about student loan repayments."

Another student commented: "My major concern is about the financial situation. Part-time work hours have been reduced because I'm quite busy with my classes in the science field. The cost of study materials for each semester and the rising cost of living are really troublesome."

Average monthly spending by students who live by themselves, or those not commuting from their parents' homes or not living in student dormitories, stood at ¥131,710, up ¥4,210 from a year before.

While increases were seen in most spending categories including food and living, savings and money carried over decreased ¥490 to ¥14,250.

College students' average monthly income grew ¥2,900 to ¥132,140, supported by increases in income from part-time jobs and money sent by their parents.

The share of college students with part-time jobs was 76.8%, the highest in the last 10 years.

The figure "seems to reflect the tough financial situation of parents due to high prices in recent years," said federation official Tadashi Otsuki. "There is concern that excessive amounts of part-time work may affect health and studies."

Sticky inflation driven by rising food prices is increasingly becoming concerns for Japanese households that are struggling to make ends meet.

Inflation was 3.7% in February, with food prices up 7.6% on year. Rice prices rose more than 80%, and households are increasingly finding it hard to make ends meet. Inflation hit 4% in January.

Giving an additional blow to consumers, a number of food producers have increased price tags starting this month, as April is the beginning of a new fiscal year for many businesses.

According to a survey conducted by Tokyo-based research firm Teikoku Databank on 195 domestic food companies, the number of food, beverage and alcohol items slated for price increases this month stood at 4,225, the highest since October 2023. By category, "seasonings," such as miso products accounted for the largest number with 2,034 items.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering following up on existing measures to ease the strain of price increases on households — including cash handouts to low-income households, subsidies on gasoline prices and government support to lower the price of rice.