Japan: Consumer confidence hits highest reading in over a year in March
Consumer confidence came in at 36.1 in March, up from the 33.9 clocked in February. March’s result marked the best reading since February 2020. Consequently, the index moved closer to the 50-threshold, but 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 also rose in March compared with the prior month’s survey.