How to say "recession" in Japanese

• 不況ふきょうJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounA recession or depression as a state of the economy at large: a sustained downturn in overall business activity. Choose this for the economic sense of 'recession'.
  好況こうきょうと不況ふきょうは交互こうごに来くる。↗

  Good times alternate with bad.
• リセッションCommon
  nounThe loanword, matching 'recession' one-for-one: an economic downturn. It covers the same ground as 不況 and fits naturally in economic news, reports and business discussion.
  リセッションは一般的いっぱんてき傾向けいこうとしては経済けいざい活動かつどうが増大ぞうだいしている時ときに一時的いちじてきに落ち込おちこむことである。↗

  Recession is a temporary falling off of business activity during a period when such activity is generally increasing.
• 不景気ふけいきJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, na-adjectiveCovers slumps and hard times: a sluggish economy, poor business, general hardship. Wider in scope than 不況, it also serves for 'recession' in casual talk about the economy.
  不景気ふけいきになってきているみたいね。↗

  We're in store for a recession.
• 後退こうたいJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbIts core sense is retreat or waning: something falling back or declining. For 'recession' it is used in economic contexts, describing a downturn in business conditions rather than hard times themselves.
  自動車じどうしゃの売れ行うれゆきは年度末ねんどまつに後退こうたいしました。↗

  Automobile sales suffered a setback at the end of the financial year.
• 退去たいきょCommon
  suru verb, no-adjective, transitive verb, intransitive verbIn ordinary use this means departure or withdrawal: leaving a place, moving out of premises. For an economic recession it is seldom the word you want; that sense is marginal.

For an economic downturn choose 不況 or the loanword 「リセッション」; 不景気 covers hard times and sluggish business as well as recessions; 後退 is a retreat-or-waning word used in economic contexts; 退去 is rarely appropriate.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 不況ふきょう(economic) depression
• リセッションrecession
• 不景気ふけいきeconomic slump
• 景気後退けいきこうたいrecession
• 急減きゅうげんrapid decrease
• 後退こうたいrecession
• 退去たいきょrecession
• 左前ひだりまえdownturn
• しけpoor turn-out