TOKYO- Japan’s economy rebounded more than expected in the second quarter after slumping in the first three months of this year, data showed, a sign consumption and capital expenditure were recovering from the coronavirus pandemic’s initial hit.
But many analysts expect growth to remain modest in the current quarter as state of emergency curbs reimposed to combat a spike in infections weigh on household spending.
The world’s third-largest economy grew an annualised 1.3 percent in April-June after a revised 3.7 percent slump in the first quarter, preliminary gross domestic product (GDP) data showed on Monday, beating a median market forecast for a 0.7 percent gain.
Still, the rebound was much weaker than that of other advanced economies including the United States, which marked a 6.5 percent annualized expansion in the second quarter, highlighting the fallout from Tokyo’s struggle in containing the pandemic.
“There’s not much to be optimistic on the outlook with a spike in infections heightening the chance of stricter curbs on activity,” said YoshihikiShinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute.
“Japan’s economy stagnated in the first half of this year and there’s a risk of a contraction in July-September. Any clear rebound in growth will have to wait until year-end,” he said.
An unexpected rebound in April-June consumption also highlighted the dilemma the government faces, as citizens are becoming less responsive to voluntary, repeated stop-and-go requests to stay home.
“I have very mixed feelings about this GDP result. It shows that households’ consumption appetite is very strong despite the state of emergency curbs,” Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters after the data’s release.
“Our priority is to prevent the spread of the virus. It’s very bad for the economy for this situation to drag on.”
Consumption rose 0.8 percent in April-June from the previous quarter, confounding market forecasts for a 0.1 percent decline and rebounding from a 1.0 percent drop in January-March, the data showed.
