The Extended National Consumer Price Index 15 (IPCA-15) changed by 0.38% in February, close to the January change of 0.39%. This was the second lowest rate for a February since the implementation of the Plano Real in 1994, just behind the 0.34% change in February 2000. The cumulative index in the last twelve months was 2.86% falling below the 3.02% recorded in the preceding 12 months. In the year, the index recorded 0.77%, the lowest rate in this period since the implementation of the Plano Real. The main IPCA-15 information can be accessed on the right of this page.

The group Education recorded the major high (4.01%) among the products and services surveyed, followed by Transportation (1.11%), whereas Housing (-0.51%) and Wearing apparel (-0.73%) decreased.

The hike of 4.01% recorded by Education reflects the price adjustments observed in the beginning of the school year, mainly the rise of school fees of regular courses, which rose 5.24%. It was the main individual impact in the monthly index (0.16 p.p.), with increases ranging between 4.40% (São Paulo) and 8.02% (Goiânia). Mixed courses, with an impact of 0.03 p.p., increased, on average, 3.55%. The highest high was registered in Rio de Janeiro (6.44%).

Besides Education (4.01%) the IPCA-15 was pushed by the group of Transportation (1.11%) mostly due to fuels (2.03%). Gasoline increases on average 1.78%, ranging between -0.33% in Brasília and 7.82% in Salvador. The liter of ethanol stood at 3.11% more expensive, oscillating between 0.35% in Fortaleza and 7.65% in Salvador.

Besides fuels (2.03%), the expenses with Transportation were pushed by the item urban bus (2.01% and 0.05 p.p.), whose high is consequence of the changes as the following table.

It is worth mentioning the change of 1.14% in the intercity bus, according to the increases presented in the table below; taxi, whose high is 1.65% occurred due to the increases in the fees of Rio de Janeiro (5.49%) in force since January 24; and the decrease of 3.47% in airfares.

The group Food and Beverages had deceleration in February (0.13% and 0.03 p.p.). In January, the rate was 0.76%. Food at home changed, also, 0.13%. The prices of some products rose very much as tomatoes (29.07%), carrots (17.96%) and onion (10.37%). Potato and meat were falling, respectively, 3.50% and 0.70% after the increase of 11.70% and 1.53% of January.

In food away from home (0.15%), the areas varied from -0.31% in the metropolitan area of Recife to a rise of 1.63% in Salvador.

As it occurred in January, the main negative impact on the index (-0.11 p.p.) came from the group Housing (-0.51%) due to the item electricity (-2.99%). In 10 of the 11 areas surveyed there were decreases, ranging from the -5.84% in Goiânia to the -1.90% of Salvador. Porto Alegre (1.33%) registered the only a rise due to the 29.60% increase in the tariff of one of the concessionaires, in effect since December 21.

Still in the group Housing, water and sewage fees (0.21%) reflected the adjustments of 5.70% in Fortaleza (4.65%), in force since January 22, and of 5.96% in Belém (2.88%), in effect since February 1st.

The increase of piped gas (1.23%) is a result of the adjustment of 2.77%, started on January 1st, and of 1.74%, begun on February 1st, in Rio de Janeiro (2.36%). Bottled gas presented a decrease of 0.22%, varying between -8.00% in Salvador and 9.52% in Curitiba. On January 19, Petrobras announced the reduction of 5.00% in the price of bottled gas sold in 13-kg cylinders in the refineries.

As to the regional indexes, the highest one was in the Metropolitan Area of Salvador (0.78%) where the highlight is gasoline (7.82%). The lowest index was that of Brasília (-0.09%) under the influence of the decrease of 10.06% in airfares. See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed.

In order to measure IPCA-15, prices collected from January 16 to February 15, 2018 (reference) were compared with the ones in effect from December 14, 2017 to January 15, 2018 (base). The indicator refers to families with monthly income of 1 to 40 minimum wages and it encompasses the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Curitiba, as well as Brasília and Goiânia. The methodology is the same as the one used for the IPCA; the difference lies in the period of price collection and in the geographic coverage.