TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Housing starts in April fell 7.2 pct year-on-year to 99,556 mln units, after a decline of 1.4 pct in March, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.
The ministry provided the following April housing starts breakdown, with year-on-year percentage changes:
Owner-occupied - 34,971 units, down 15.8 pct
Rental - 35,391 units, down 1.5 pct
For resale - 28,336 units, down 1.6 pct
Earlier, private sector economists forecast April housing starts would fall by between 1.0 and 6.0 pct year-on-year, with the consensus at around a fall of 3.5 pct.