TOKYO, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Japan's economy grew by an annualized real 0.2 percent for the quarter ending December 2025, the first expansion in two quarters but far smaller than market expectations amid the lingering inflation, government data showed Monday.
Analysts expected an annualized real expansion of 1.48 percent in the October-December quarter, according to a survey of 36 economists conducted by the Japan Center for Economic Research.
In the fourth quarter, gross domestic product adjusted for inflation edged up 0.1 percent from the preceding three-month period, according to preliminary data released by the Cabinet Office.
Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's GDP, grew by 0.1 percent for the seventh consecutive quarter, lifted by stronger demand for mobile phones and lodging fees, though spending on food and automobiles weakened, according to the office.
During the reporting period, exports dipped 0.3 percent from July to September, dragged down by weak automobile shipments affected by U.S. higher tariffs, as well as a drop in visitors from China. Japan counts spending by inbound travelers as export revenue.
Japanese households have been struggling amid persistently high prices, with inflation-adjusted real wages staying negative for the 12th consecutive month in December and for the fourth consecutive year on an annual basis, the Nikkei reported.
The latest GDP figure underscores various challenges facing the Japanese economy and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the report said. ■
