IPCA-15
August inflation preview stands at 0.23 with high in fuel prices
August 25, 2020 09h00 AM | Last Updated: August 25, 2020 05h47 PM
The Extended National Consumer Price Index 15 (IPCA-15), released today by the IBGE, stood at 0.23% in August. In the year, the IPCA-15 registered a cumulative rise of 0.90% and in 12 months it reached 2.28%.
Fuel prices rose 2.31% and pushed the inflation preview, with gasoline (0.12 percentage points) exerting the major positive impact, with a high of 2.63%. Diesel fuel (3.58%) and vehicular gas (0.47%) also had increase in prices, whereas ethanol presented decrease of 0.28%.
With a high of 0.75%, Transportation was the group with the biggest impact on August's index (0.15 percentage points), although there was deceleration in relation to July (1.11%), when the same group drove inflation up.
On the other hand, the group Education refrained an even bigger price rise. With face-to-face classes suspended due to Covid-19, several institutions granted discounts in the tuition fees, which were accounted for in August's IPCA-15. Therefore, the group recorded deflation of 3.27%, with the sharpest negative contribution, of -0.21 percentage points.
Regular courses' prices also retreated 4.01%. The biggest decrease was seen in preschool (-7.30%), followed by master's and PhD's programs (-5.83%), young-adult education (-4.74%) and higher degree (-3.91%).
Household articles, such as house appliances and equipment, were up by the fourth month in a row, recording high of 0.88%. But prices in furniture (-0.14%) are still decreasing, despite the lower reduction now compared to July (-0.91%). There were also highs in Communication products and services (0.86%) and Food and beverages (0.34%).
With a high in meat (3.06%), long-life milk (4.36%) and fruits (2.47%), food at home increased 0.61%. Other important products in families’ baskets, as rice (2.22%) and French roll (0.99%), also rose. Counterbalance came from tomatoes (-4.20%), onions (-8.04%), garlic (-8.15%) and potatoes (-17.16%).
Due to tariff increases, electricity had a high of 1.61%, pushed by the group Housing (0.57%). Electricity bills also went up in Belém, São Paulo, Fortaleza, Salvador, Recife, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre. The only areas where the prices of electricity retreated were Curitiba (-2.59%) and Brasília (-0.36%), both due to the reduction in the PIS/Cofins quotes.
In relation to the regional indices, all surveyed areas presented positive change in August. The highest index was seen in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte (0.37%), especially due to the highs in the prices of meat (7.01%) and gasoline (3.56%). However, the lowest change was recorded in Brasília (0.08%), where the influence was mostly exerted by the price drops in some food items.
Prices collected from July 15 to August 13 of 2020 (reference) were compared with the ones in force from June 16 to July 14 of 2020 (base).
