TOKYO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan's household spending fell 1.3 percent year on year in inflation-adjusted real terms in October, marking the third consecutive month of decline, according to data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Households of two or more people spent an average of 305,819 yen (about 2,039 U.S. dollars) in October.

The decline was driven by reduced spending on home repairs and maintenance, as well as sluggish sales of autumn and winter clothing due to unseasonably warm weather, according to the ministry.

By category, housing expenses, including repair and maintenance costs, dropped 10.7 percent, while spending on clothing and footwear plunged 13.7 percent. Sportswear sales were particularly weak, down 16.4 percent.

Expenditures on cultural and recreational activities decreased 3.0 percent, while food spending fell 0.8 percent, the first decline in three months, with consumers adopting cost-saving measures.

A ministry official noted that consumer spending remains weak, underscoring continued challenges for the economy.

Accounting for more than half of Japan's gross domestic product, household spending is a key gauge of private consumption in the country. Enditem

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