TOKYO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Japan's household financial assets hit a record 2,351 trillion yen (around 14.8 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of December, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, the Bank of Japan said Wednesday.

Higher balances of stocks and investment trusts amid rising share prices helped drive the growth.

Household holdings of stocks and other equities soared 22.6 percent year on year to 341.6 trillion yen, while holdings of investment trusts grew 21.3 percent to 165.3 trillion yen, both reaching record highs.

Cash and deposits edged up 0.5 percent to around 1,140 trillion yen, but their share of total household financial assets fell to 48.5 percent, declining further from the end of September last year, when the figure dropped below 50 percent for the first time in 18 years.

Meanwhile, household financial liabilities exceeded 405 trillion yen, also a record high, reflecting increased borrowing such as housing loans. ■