Japan: Core consumer prices fall year-on-year in August
The core consumer price index—which excludes the price of fresh food—declined 0.40% over the previous month in August, contrasting July’s 0.20% rise. August’s downturn marked the first decline in prices in three months and was primarily driven by a decline in prices for culture and recreation, and clothing and footwear.
Similarly, the core consumer price index declined 0.4% in August compared to the same month last year, after it remained unchanged in July, falling further below the Bank of Japan’s 2.0% increase target. The annual average variation of core consumer prices declined to minus 0.4% in August (July: 0.1%). Lastly, inflation ticked down to 0.2% from July’s 0.3%.