Bank of Japan ends the world’s only negative rates regime in a historic move

March 19, 2024

Japan’s central bank raised interest rates on Tuesday for the first time since 2007, ending the world’s last negative rates regime on early signs of robust wage gains this year.

The BOJ raised its short-term interest rates to around 0% to 0.1% from -0.1%, according to its statement at the end of its two-day March policy meeting. Japan’s negative rates regime had been in place since 2016.