tokyo march 8 reuters  japans strong economic growth in the final quarter of 2021 was downgraded in a revised estimate on wednesday while pressures from record covid19 infections and rising energy costs are heightening risks of a contraction this quarter the downwardly revised growth is bad news for policymakers tasked with keeping the countrys fragile recovery on track as a jump in commodity prices due to the ukraine crisis and persistent supply disruptions heighten economic uncertainty revised gross domestic product gdp data released by the cabinet office on wednesday showed japan expanded an annualised 46 in octoberdecember that was lower than economists median forecast for a 56 gain and the preliminary reading of 54 released last month on a quarteronquarter basis gdp expanded 11 falling short of the median market expectations for a 14 gain private consumption which makes up more than a half of japans gdp increased 24 in octoberdecember from the previous quarter revised down from an initiallyestimated 27 gain domestic demand as a whole contributed 09 of a percentage point to revised gdp figures while net exports added 02 of a percentage point economists in a reuters poll last week forecast annualised growth of 04 in the januarymarch quarter slashing their previous projections given rapid omicron coronavirus variant infections and uncertainties caused by the war in ukraine read more