Japan: Consumer sentiment turns more pessimistic in January
Consumer confidence came in at 36.7 in January, falling lower from November’s 39.1 reading and marking the lowest print in five months. As such, the index remained entrenched below the 50-threshold, signaling that consumers remained deeply pessimistic in January.
The overall decline reflected a broad-based decrease in sentiment: Consumers grew more pessimistic regarding their overall livelihood, income growth and employment opportunities in the coming six months, while willingness to buy durable goods also reduced in January compared with the prior month’s survey.