Consumer sentiment at 32-month low

Consumer confidence across Japan fell for the fourth straight month in August to a 32-month low, the Cabinet Office said Wednesday.

The index of confidence among households of two or more people was an unadjusted 44.0, down 0.4 point from July.

On a year-on-year basis, the index dropped 3.6 points, down for the ninth month in a row.

A reading below 50 indicates that pessimists outnumber optimists. Consumer spending accounts for roughly 55 percent of the economy.

The Cabinet Office polled 6,720 households Aug. 15, of which 75.1 percent responded.