Household spending in November averaged 284,465 yen, unchanged from a year before, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said
However, household spending in November fell a seasonally adjusted 1.3 pct from October, declining for the third consecutive month
The year-on-year figure was below market expectations. The ministry reported late last month that spending by households headed by wage earners, which account for about 60 pct of overall household spending, rose 0.9 pct in real terms in November from a year earlier
On a nominal basis, household spending in November fell 1.0 pct from a year earlier. Many economists say that owing to deflation in Japan, spending on a nominal basis, or spending unadjusted for changes in prices, is a more important gauge because it reflects the actual impact on corporate sales and profits