TOKYO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Household spending in Japan decreased in May from a year earlier, marking a third month of decline, government data showed on Friday.
Household spending in the reporting period fell 4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Spending by households with two or more people stood at an average of 286,443 yen (1,989 U.S. dollars) in May.
In breakdown, spending on communication, which includes mobile phone charges, went down by 9 percent. Expenditures on supplementary education decreased by 15.4 percent.
Transportation fees and spending on recreational services such as travel expenses increased by 17.7 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively.
Accounting for more than half of Japan's gross domestic product (GDP), household spending is a key gauge of private consumption in the country. ■