Impact of International Wars/Conflicts: Approximately 71% Concerned About 'Price Increases', 'Food Products' Rank First for Household Budget Worries

NEXER Inc., in collaboration with RSG Inc., a specialized recruitment agency for construction and real estate, conducted a survey on "Items consumers are refraining from buying due to the impact of war" and is pleased to present the results.

■ How do consumers perceive the impact of war?

International wars and armed conflicts are reported daily in the news.

Even if they seem like distant events, they are gradually affecting our daily lives.

Rising prices, surging energy costs, and fluctuating exchange rates. As daily living costs continue to rise, what anxieties do consumers feel, and where are they considering reviewing their spending?

Therefore, in collaboration with RSG Inc., we conducted a survey targeting 500 men and women nationwide on "Items consumers are refraining from buying due to the impact of war."

*When citing the contents of this press release, please take the following actions:

・State that the source is "a survey by NEXER Inc. and RSG Inc."

・Provide a link to RSG Inc. (https://rsg-c.jp/)

・Provide a link to RSG Job Navi (https://rsg-tenshokunavi.jp/)

"Survey on Items Consumers Are Refraining From Buying Due to the Impact of War" Overview

Survey method: Internet questionnaire

Survey period: April 17, 2026 - April 24, 2026

Respondents: Men and women nationwide

Valid responses: 500 samples

Questions:

Question 1: What aspects of daily life concern you due to the recent international wars/armed conflicts? (Multiple answers allowed)

Question 2: What is the single most concerning 'price increase' for your household budget due to the recent international wars/armed conflicts?

Question 3: Please tell us the reason.

Question 4: If living costs further increase due to the recent international wars/armed conflicts, what is the first expense you would cut?

Question 5: Please tell us the reason.

Question 6: What consumption behaviors do you want to review in the future? (Multiple answers allowed)

Question 7: Please tell us specifically what consumption behaviors you want to review in the future.

*In principle, figures are rounded to one decimal place, so the total may not always be 100%.

■ 71.2% responded with concern about "price increases (food and daily necessities)" due to the impact of war.

First, we asked what aspects of daily life concern them due to recent international wars/armed conflicts.

The most common answer was "price increases (food and daily necessities)" at 71.2%.

This was followed by "soaring gasoline and energy prices" at 55.4%, "rising electricity and gas bills" at 46.6%, and "economic downturn/income reduction" at 35.2%.

More than 70% are worried about price increases for daily necessities and food, indicating that major events like war are directly impacting daily shopping and monthly payments.

■ 44.6% responded that the most concerning price increase for household budgets is "food products."

Next, we asked what the single most concerning 'price increase' for their household budget is due to the impact of war/armed conflicts.

"Food products" was the most common answer at 44.6%.

This was followed by "gasoline/transportation costs" at 19.6% and "utility costs (electricity/gas/water)" at 16.4%.

We asked for reasons behind each answer, and here are some examples:

Those who answered "Food products":

・Supermarket ingredients are expensive. (20s, male)

・Eating is the only pleasure in life, and I don't want to cut expenses related to it. (30s, female)

・Worried about rising transportation costs. It's troubling not being able to live without food. (30s, female)

Those who answered "Gasoline/transportation costs":

・It seems to be the most direct impact on my life, and compared to other issues, Japan doesn't seem to be able to do anything about gasoline. (30s, female)

・Because we rely entirely on imports for oil, the impact is direct. (30s, male)

・When gasoline prices rise, all other prices rise too. (40s, female)

Those who answered "Utility costs (electricity/gas/water)":

・Utilities are always necessary, and there's no way to save even if prices rise. (20s, female)

・Utility costs seem to be rising the most, and it's already tough, so it would be even harder if they rise further. (30s, female)

・Public utility charges for electricity, gas, and water are indispensable in daily life, so if utility costs rise on top of high food prices, it's nothing but anxiety. (40s, female)

Common responses across all choices included "essential daily necessities cannot be cut" and "there's no way to save." On the other hand, a tendency was observed for the nature of anxiety to differ by item: concerns about rising transportation costs for food, anxiety about import reliance for gasoline, and the overlap of public utility charges for utilities.

■ 29.0% responded that the first expense to cut is "eating out/takeaway."

Next, we asked what would be the first expense to cut if living costs rise further.