Just what Japan doesn't need and America Needs
Single Household Spending For Jan-Mar Plummets 10.6%
Friday, May 18, 2001
TOKYO (Nikkei)--The average monthly spending of single-member households plunged 10.6% from a year earlier to 163,870 yen per person in real terms in the January-March period, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications said Thursday.
The ministry attributes the drop primarily to decreases in spending on dining out, rent and personal computers. This is the first time the ministry has surveyed singles living in dormitories and boarding houses.
During the period covered, expenses on eating out nose-dived 17.6% year-on-year. With the ratio of middle-aged and older people who own homes on the rise, spending on rents also fell 11.5%.
Consumer spending for all households stood at 102,195 yen per person, down 0.2% in real terms.
However, spending on household durables grew because of last-minute demand prior to the enforcement of the home appliance recycling law in April.
(The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Thursday morning edition) |
