BOJ holds over 50% of Japanese government bonds for 1st time

Central bank sticks with quantitative easing as U.S., European counterparts tighten

The Bank of Japan has continued to purchase government bonds even as the U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank move to reduce their holdings. (Photo by Nozomu Ogawa)

SAKI AKITA, Nikkei staff writer

December 20, 2022 03:29 JST

TOKYO -- The share of Japanese government bonds held by the Bank of Japan has topped 50% on a market value basis for the first time, new data shows, as the bank continues with large-scale purchases to maintain ultralow interest rates.

The BOJ held 535.62 trillion yen ($3.92 trillion) in Japanese government bonds by market value at the end of September, excluding treasury discount bills, according to its Flow of Funds Accounts report published Monday.