TOKYO: Financial assets held by households in Japan as of the end of 2021 rose 4.5 percent from a year earlier to a record 2,023 trillion yen, exceeding 2,000 trillion yen for the first time, Bank of Japan data showed Thursday.

The milestone came as households curbed spending amid the coronavirus pandemic and increased cash on hand and cash deposits while higher stock prices boosted their holdings of equities and investment trusts.

Of the total household financial assets, cash and deposits accounted for 1,092 trillion yen, up 3.3 percent, partly pushed up by year-end bonuses.

Stocks jumped 15.5 percent to 212 trillion yen, while investment trust funds surged 20.4 percent to 94 trillion yen.

Insurance, pension and other products increased 1.0 percent to 540 trillion yen, against the backdrop of the yen’s weakening.

Meanwhile, nonfinancial companies’ financial assets expanded 5.9 percent to 1,279 trillion yen, hitting a record high. Their foreign direct investments grew 15.7 percent to 168 trillion yen, also a record high.

The outstanding balance of Japanese government securities, including treasury bills, stood at 1,220 trillion yen. Those held by the BOJ dropped 2.9 percent to 530 trillion yen, down for the second quarter in a row, accounting for 43.4 percent of the total, down from 44.1 percent at end of September 2021.

JIJI Press