TOKYO—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe enters 2016 with his effort to revive Japan’s economy still struggling to gain traction, after data showed Friday that prices remained nearly flat and household spending was weak.

The data spurred expectations that the country’s central bank will be forced to take further action in the New Year to shore up inflation and growth.

The core consumer-price index, which excludes fresh food, was up 0.1% from a year earlier in November, the government said, as a weaker yen pushed up the prices of imported food and appliances.

It was the first rise in five months but still far from the Bank of Japan ’s 2% inflation target. Household spending fell 2.9% in November, the third consecutive month of decline.

Mr. Abe’s supporters cite progress on several fronts since he took office three years ago. Corporate profits are up sharply, lifting stock prices. And demand for workers is strong. In November, the jobs-to-applicants ratio rose to 1.25 from 1.24 the previous month, showing there were 125 jobs for every 100 job seekers.