Japan’s consumer prices rose by 2.5% yoy in April 2022, the most since October 2014, after a 1.2% gain a month earlier. The latest figure also marked the 8th straight month of annual inflation, with food prices rising at the fastest pace in 7 years (4% vs 3.4% in March). Additional upward pressures also came from cost of fuel, light and water charges (15.7% vs 16.4%), clothes & footwear (0.8% vs 0.7%), culture & recreation (1.3% vs 1.3%), housing (0.4% vs 0.3%), furniture (2.3% vs 0.4%), education (0.9% vs 1.4%), and miscellaneous (1.2% vs 1%).
At the same time, cost of transport fell by 0.2%, much softer than a 7% drop in March. Meanwhile, prices of medical care dropped further(-0.7% vs -0.4%). Core consumer prices went up 2.1% yoy, the 8th consecutive month of rises and the most since March 2015, matching forecasts and slightly above the BoJ’s 2% target. On a monthly basis, consumer prices went up 0.4% in April, the same pace as in the prior two months.
