The nation's current account surplus rose for the second month in a row in May as the SARS epidemic trimmed overseas travel, surging 28.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.35 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
The nation's chronic deficit in the balance of services trade shrank to 175.8 billion yen in May -- the lowest level in 17 years -- from 402.5 billion yen a year earlier, reflecting a plunge in the number of Japanese traveling overseas, a ministry official said.
The number of travelers fell from 1,279,000 in May 2002 to 575,000 in the reporting month, a 55.1 percent decrease, as the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic swept across Asia, the official said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.