Japan's housing starts decreased for the fourth consecutive month and at a faster than expected pace in December, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said Tuesday.
Housing starts fell 7.3 percent year-on-year in December, down sharply from the 0.3 percent decrease seen in the prior month. Economists had expected only 1.5 percent drop for December.
Annualized housing starts totaled 783,000 compared to 824,000 a month ago. The expected level was 848,000.
Construction orders received by 50 big contractors increased at a much slower pace of 1.5 percent in December after logging 21 percent expansion in November.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.