Japan's monetary base expanded 13.6 percent in January from a year earlier for the 36th straight monthly rise, the Bank of Japan said Tuesday.
The rise marked the 29th consecutive month of double-digit gain. The January expansion follows increases of 20.6 percent in October, 16.7 percent in November and 13.2 percent in December, the BOJ said.
The average daily balance of the monetary base -- cash in circulation plus current-account deposits held at the central bank by financial institutions and Japan Post -- came to 108.332 trillion yen, the BOJ said.
The balance of current-account deposits at the BOJ surged 55.0 percent to 31.203 trillion yen, following a revised 51.4 percent increase in December.
The monetary base has been growing rapidly since March 2001, when the BOJ adopted a policy of quantitative monetary easing by injecting ample liquidity into the banking system to try to fend off deflation.