Japan: Consumer confidence holds steady at the outset of 2020
Consumer sentiment held steady at 39.1 in January, which was unchanged from the previous month. The consumer confidence index measures consumers’ expectations for the next six months on a scale of 0–100; a figure of 100 indicates that all respondents see their living standards improving.
Consumers were more confident about employment prospects in January, in addition to their ability to purchase durable goods. However, consumer sentiment decreased regarding both income growth and overall livelihood prospects. Meanwhile, the percentage of consumers who expected prices to increase one year in the future dropped to 78.2% from 78.8%.