Household spending in January averaged 294,170 yen, down 3.5 pct from a year before, the first decline in three months, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. Household spending in January fell a seasonally adjusted 1.9 pct from December, dropping for the third month in a row. The year-on-year figure was generally in line with market expectations The ministry reported earlier this month that spending by households headed by wage earners, which accounts for about 60 pct of overall household spending, fell 4.7 pct in real terms in January from a year earlier On a nominal basis, household spending for the month fell 3.0 pct from a year earlier.