TOKYO, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Japan's household spending in January dropped a real 1 percent from a year earlier, marking the second consecutive monthly decline, government data showed Tuesday.
Households of two or more people spent an average of 307,584 yen (about 1,948 U.S. dollars) in the reporting month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
By category, outlays for education fell 22.6 percent, marking the first decline in four months, dragged down by falling tuition fees for private universities, while utility bills shed 2.6 percent as higher temperatures in December than a year earlier led to lower heating costs in January electricity bills, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, expenditure on food, which makes up around 30 percent of household spending, rose 1.5 percent on increased outlays for dining out and fruit, according to the ministry.
Accounting for more than half of Japan's gross domestic product, household spending is a key indicator of private consumption in the country. ■
