Families with babies in Japan facing steeper price hikes

Diapers, formula and other baby items have seen greater price surges than other consumer goods since the beginning of this year, causing a heavy burden on child-rearing households as Japan battles a declining birthrate, a recent think tank analysis showed.

The prices of baby-related goods were up 9.3 percent in June from a year earlier, much higher than the 3.3 percent increase for consumer products overall, and are likely to remain elevated for a while, Hamagin Research Institute said.

The rate of increase in the “baby price index” comprising diapers, formula, infant clothes, dolls and toys, ...