The Bank of Japan's 102nd "Survey on Lifestyle Awareness" (conducted June 2025) provides a detailed report on changes in public economic perceptions and living conditions.
The survey was conducted from May 1 to June 3, 2025, targeting 4,000 individuals aged 20 and over nationwide, with 2,016 valid responses obtained (50.4% response rate). Respondents were selected using stratified two-stage random sampling, with responses collected via mail or internet.
Economic sentiment shows a marked deterioration, with 70.5% of respondents saying conditions have "worsened," resulting in a D.I. ("improved" minus "worsened") of -67.0, down from -59.8 in the previous survey (March 2025). Looking ahead one year, 48.4% expect conditions to "worsen" compared to only 4.5% expecting improvement, with the D.I. falling to -43.9 from -37.1, indicating increasingly pessimistic views.
Living conditions perceptions have also grown more severe, with 61.0% reporting their standard of living has "become tighter," up from 55.9% in the previous survey. Only 3.8% reported "more comfortable" conditions, resulting in a D.I. of -57.2, worse than the previous -52.0.
Regarding prices, 75.3% perceive prices have "risen significantly" and 20.8% say "risen slightly," meaning 96.1% are experiencing inflation. For the outlook one year ahead, 33.4% expect prices to "rise significantly" and 51.7% expect them to "rise slightly," with over 85% anticipating continued inflation.
Awareness of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy remains limited, with only 26.2% "knowing" that price stability is the Bank's objective, while 46.8% have "heard of it but don't know well" and 26.3% have "never heard of it." Regarding the 2% inflation target, only 21.7% are aware of it, while 45.2% have "never heard of it."
Trust in the Bank of Japan has declined, with those who "trust" or "somewhat trust" the institution totaling 41.3%, down from 48.8% in the previous survey. The largest group at 47.6% responded "neither trust nor distrust," indicating an increase in neutral positions.
The article demonstrates through specific data that public sentiment regarding economic conditions and living standards has deteriorated further, inflation concerns persist, and challenges remain in public understanding and trust of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy.