Japan's economy barely grows in the last quarter as exports slow, with 2025 expansion just 1.1%.

Japan has reported its economy expanded at an anemic 0.2% annual pace in the last quarter, with growth for 2025 at just 1.1% NewsJapan's economy barely grows in the last quarter as exports slow, with 2025 expansion just 1.1%.Japan has reported its economy expanded at an anemic 0.2% annual pace in the last quarter, with growth for 2025 at just 1.1%Yuri Kageyama Monday 16 February 2026 04:19 GMTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverJapan ElectionYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read more Japan's economy expanded at an anemic 0.2% annual pace in the last quarter, the government reported Monday, with growth for all of 2025 at just 1.1%. Private consumption rose at a 0.4% annualized pace in October-December, but that was offset by a 1.1% drop in exports, the latest seasonally adjusted preliminary data show.Japan’s export-reliant economy has been shaken by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, but has been growing at a lackluster pace for years. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to roll out policies to help revive the economy after a landslide victory in a general election earlier this month.Takaichi has promised to spend more and to suspend Japan's sales tax on food, among other measures. Japan’s GDP contracted 0.7% in July-September, quarter-to-quarter, after growing 0.5% in April-June. Since the economy returned to growth in the latest quarter, the country narrowly avoided a technical recession, which is two straight quarters of contraction. On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 0.1% in October to December, the Cabinet Office reported. The 1.1% expansion last year was the fastest since 2022, when Japan was recovering from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.The government is projecting that the economy will expand at an average rate of about 0.6% in the near term. ___Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyamaMore aboutJapanTokyoDonald TrumpSanae TakaichiGDPCabinet OfficeCovidMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next