Real wages in Japan fell in March for the 24th consecutive month, marking the longest decline since similar data became available in 1991, dropping by 2.5 percent compared to the same month the previous year, due to rising prices, which eroded households' purchasing power, as the prices of daily goods continued to rise due to increased raw material costs and a weak yen.

Nominal wages, which represent the average total monthly cash earnings for each worker, including base pay and overtime, increased by 0.6 percent to reach 301,193 yen ($1,940), marking a rise for the 27th consecutive month, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

The consumer price index, used to calculate real wages, also rose by 3.1 percent in the month covered by the report, significantly exceeding the nominal wage increase of 0.6 percent.

The data indicated that the monthly wage in services related to people's daily lives recorded the largest growth at 5.4 percent, while the mining and quarrying sector saw the largest decline at 11.6 percent.

The average wage excluding bonuses and irregular payments also increased by 1.5 percent to 279,234 yen, while overtime and other allowances decreased by 1.5 percent to 19,703 yen.

The average monthly nominal wage for full-time workers increased by 0.8 percent to 386,795 yen, while the average nominal wage for part-time workers increased by 2.5 percent to 108,036 yen.

Meanwhile, the total hours worked per worker decreased by 2.7 percent compared to the previous year to 136.2.