Japan: Consumer sentiment hits 17-month high in July
Consumer confidence came in at 37.5 in July, inching up from June’s 37.4 and marking the best reading since February 2020. As a result, while the index moved closer to the 50-threshold, it still indicated pessimism among consumers.
The overall improvement reflected a broad-based rise in sentiment: Consumers became less pessimistic regarding overall livelihood, income growth and employment opportunities in the coming six months, while willingness to buy durable goods increased in July compared with the prior month’s survey.