Japan consumers’ expected inflation rate rises to record 2.43% in Feb -govt survey

(Corrects day of the week in first paragraph)

TOKYO – Japanese consumers’ one-year forward expected inflation rate rose to 2.43% in February, a Consumer Affairs Agency survey showed on Wednesday, the highest since the survey started in December 2014.

It followed a reading of 2.16% in the previous month.

According to the preliminary result of the February survey of 2,000 consumers in Japan, 89.8% of respondents said the prices of everyday goods will rise in a year, also the highest percentage on record.

(Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Tom Hogue)