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News Bulletin

RECENT RELEASE

2012 Family Income and Expenditure Survey shows increase in consumption expenditure in real terms

   The 2012 yearly averages of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (total households) were released in February 2013 by the SBJ. This survey is a sample survey with about 9,000 households randomly selected from all households in Japan. It has been conducted to reveal the actual conditions of family income and expenditure. The SBJ releases the results of "Income and Expenditure" and "Savings and Liabilities", and this report introduces the results of "Income and Expenditure".

   The yearly average of monthly consumption expenditure per household was 247,651 yen, up by 0.2% in both nominal and real terms from the previous year. Real terms figures show the first increase since 2010. The yearly average of monthly consumption expenditure of workers' households^*1) increased by 0.3% in both nominal and real terms.

   *1) "Workers' households" refers to households whose heads are employees in either private or public sectors, such as private companies, factories, schools, hospitals, shops, government offices, etc. Households whose heads are executive officers such as presidents, directors and commissioners of companies are classified as "Other Households".

   The yearly average of monthly income per workers' household was 467,774 yen, up by 1.2% in both nominal and real terms from the previous year. Among income categories, the income earned by household heads decreased by 0.3% in real terms but the income earned by the spouses of household heads increased by 11.0% in real terms.

   Among expenditure for goods^*2) and services, average spending on goods increased by 1.2% in real terms from the previous year. A further breakdown of expenditure reveals that spending on durable goods increased by 7.3% in real terms, spending on semi-durable goods increased by 1.2% in real terms and non-durable goods increased by 0.3% in real terms. Spending on services increased by 0.1% in real terms.

   *2) "Goods" are divided into the following three categories:

      "Durable goods"???Goods which have an expected lifespan of one year or more, and whose prices are comparatively expensive.

      "Semi-durable goods"???Goods which have an expected lifespan of one year or more, but whose prices are less expensive than "Durable goods".

      "Non-durable goods"???Goods which have an expected lifespan of less than one year.

Changes in Consumption Expenditures from the Previous Year

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