Japan: Headline inflation slows in March
The core consumer price index, which excludes the price of fresh food, decreased 0.1% month-on-month in seasonally-adjusted terms in March, matching both market analyst expectations and February’s result. This latest decline was largely due to lower prices for transportation and communication.
Core inflation slowed for the second consecutive month in March, dropping to 0.4% from 0.6% in February and coming well below the Bank of Japan’s target of 2.0%. Meanwhile, overall inflation remained unchanged in March from February’s 0.4%.