Japan's consumer prices decreased unexpectedly in March, after rising in the previous month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Thursday.
The overall consumer price index edged down 0.1 percent year-over-year in March, reversing a 0.3 percent increase in February. Economists had expected prices to remain flat during the month.
Excluding fresh food, consumer prices dropped 0.3 percent annually in March, exceeding economists' expectations for a 0.2 percent fall.
Core consumer prices, which excludes energy and food, climbed 0.7 percent on year, slightly slower than previous month's 0.8 percent spike. The expected rate of rise was also 0.8 percent.
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August 21, 2026 14:42 ET The minutes of the latest policy meeting of the Federal Reserve, housing market data and manufacturing sector survey results were the main news for the U.S. economy this week. In Europe, inflation data from the U.K. was the highlight, while consumer price data from Japan drew attention in Asia.