Asia Regional Integration Center
Tracking Asian Integration
Japan continued to recover in 2017, as its economy expanded by 1.7% in 2017 from 0.9% in 2016. Strong global demand and an accommodative monetary policy supported this growth. In addition, the stronger economic activity helped ramp up economic spending, increase jobs, and decrease unemployment. The economy contracted by 0.9% in the first quarter of 2018 due to weak demand. The economy rebounded in the second quarter on the back of a rebound in private investments and consumption, despite being hampered by weaker exports and robust imports. Economic growth is seen to weaken to 1.1% in 2018 and 1.0% in 2019, partly in anticipation of an impending consumption tax hike.
Source: Asian Development Outlook Update 2018, ADB.
| Latest | Month-Ago | Year-Ago | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite Stock Price Index 1 | 22.0 (Oct18) | 23.0 | 21.0 |
| Broad Money Growth 2 | 2.4 (Aug18) | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Headline Inflation Rate 3 | 1.2 (Sep18) | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Industrial/ Manufacturing Production Growth Rate 3 | -2.9 (Sep18) | 0.2 | 2.5 |
| Merchandise Export Growth 3 | -2.5 (Sep18) | -2.5 | 5.5 |
| Exchange Rate Index 4 | 97.7 (Oct18) | 97.1 | 97.8 |
| 1 Monthly average, local index. 2 %. 3 y-o-y, %. 4 Monthly average, January 2006 = 100, $/local currency. | |||
| Source: Bloomberg LP; CEIC database; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Ministry of Finance. | |||
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