TOKYO: Japanese household spending fell 1.6 percent in August from a year earlier in price-adjusted real terms, government data showed on Tuesday, casting doubt on the strength of consumer spending.

The fall compared with the median estimate for a 0.1 percent annual increase.

Spending declined 0.5 percent from July in seasonally adjusted terms as households spent an average 284,646 yen ($2,900), the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

Spending by wage earner households fell 0.5 percent in August from the same month a year earlier.