Household spending in December averaged 346,230 yen, up 0.8 pct from a year before, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. However, household spending in December fell a seasonally adjusted 0.7 pct from November, declining for the fourth consecutive month. The year-on-year figure was generally in line with market expectations. The ministry reported late last month that spending by households headed by wage earners, which accounts for about 60 pct of overall household spending, rose 2.3 pct in real terms in December from a year earlier. On a nominal basis, household spending in December rose 0.4 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.