Japan: Consumer confidence hits highest reading since November 2021 in February
Consumer confidence came in at 39.1 in February, up from January’s 38.0. February’s result marked the best performance since November 2021. Despite the uptick, the index remained below the 50-threshold, highlighting ongoing pessimism among consumers.
Households’ sentiment strengthened for all components, namely overall livelihood, income growth, employment, and willingness to buy durable goods.
Stronger consumer sentiment in January–February vs Q4 bodes well for an uptick in consumer spending in Q1, as currently forecast by our panelists.