However, the analysis becomes more complicated given that there are events outside the strict sphere of food markets which are affecting food price developments.
Chart 3 shows the trend in economic conditions in terms of three indicators released by the Cabinet Office: the coincident index, the leading index, and the Economy Watchers Survey's diffusion index (DI) for current economic conditions. The coincident index, which shows the magnitude and tempo of current economic developments, started to decline moderately in 2018.