Japan's economy unexpectedly shrank for the first time in a year in the third quarter, stoking further uncertainty about the outlook as global recession risks, a weak yen and higher import costs took a toll on household consumption and businesses.

The world's third-biggest economy has struggled to motor on despite the recent lifting of Covid curbs, and has faced intensifying pressure from red-hot global inflation, sweeping interest rate increases worldwide and the Ukraine war.

Gross domestic product fell an annualised 1.2 percent in July-September, official data showed, compared with economists' median estimate for a 1.1 percent expansion and a revised 4.6 percent rise in the second quarter.

It translated into a quarterly decline of 0.3 percent versus a forecast 0.3 percent growth.

On top of being squeezed by a global slowdown and soaring inflation, Japan has been dealing with the challenge of the yen's slide to 32-year lows against the US dollar, which has magnified cost-of-living strains by further lifting the price of everything from fuel to food items. (Reuters)