Inflation preview
With a rise in electricity and medicines, inflation preview stays at 0.36% in May
May 27, 2025 09h00 AM | Last Updated: May 27, 2025 10h45 AM
Residential electricity was the sub-item that mostly impacted the May´s IPCA-15 (0.06 p.p.) - Picture: Helena Pontes/IBGE News Agency
Inflation preview in May stayed at 0.36%, after the rate of 0.43% registered in April. The Extended National Consumer Price Index 15 (IPCA-15), released today (27) by the IBGE, shows that the biggest positive impact (0.06 percentage points) came from residential electricity, which changed 1.68%, influenced by the change in the tariff flag.
The cumulative index in the year stayed at 2.80%, whereas the cumulative index over the last 12 months stood at 5.40%. The index had registered 0.44% in May 2024.
Seven out of nine groups of products and services surveyed increased, highlighted by Wearing apparel (0.92%), followed by Health and personal care (0.91%) and Housing (0.67%). In terms of impact, Health and personal care (0.12 p.p.) and Housing (0.10 p.p.) stood out. On the other hand, the group of Transportation recorded the major drop (0.29%), with an impact of -0.06 p.p. on the overall index.
The other changes were Personal expenses (0.50%), Food and beverages (0.39%), Communication (0.27%), Education (0.09%) and Household articles (-0.07%), varying, in terms of impact, between 0.09 p.p. in Food and beverages and o.00 p.p. in Household articles.
In Health and personal care (0.91%), the result was influenced by pharmaceuticals (1.93%), reflecting the authorization of the adjustment of up to 5.09% in the prices of medicines on March 31.
In the group of Housing (0.67%), residential electricity stood out (1.68% and 0.06 p.p.), the major individual impact on the index. The yellow tariff flag came into force in May, additionally charging R$1.885 per every 100 kWh consumed. The following adjustments in the fare were also recorded: 2.07% in Salvador (2.94%), on April 22; 3.33% in Recife (2.88%), on April 29; and a reduction of 1.68% in the fare in Fortaleza (2.15%), on April 22.
Still in Housing, water and sewage fees (0.51%) considered the following adjustments: 9.98% in Recife (6.45%), on April 26; 4.17% in Goiânia (2.04%), on April 1st; and 6.58% in Porto Alegre (1.27%), on May 4. Piped gas (0.12%) also registered an average adjustment of 0.77% in Rio de Janeiro (0.38%), in force since May 1st.
On the other hand, the group of Food and beverages decelerated from 1.14% to 0.39%. The drop in tomatoes (7.28%), rice (4.31%) and fruits (1.64%) contributed to that result. In contrast, potatoes (21.75%), onions (6.14%) and ground coffee (4.82%) rose. Having risen 1.23% in April, snacks decelerated to 0.84% in May.
Drop in airfare was the major negative influence in May
The result of the group of Transportation (-0.29%) was influenced by the drop in airfare (11.18%). The negative change in urban bus fares (1.24%) also stood out, due to the zero-fare policy on Sundays and holidays in Brasília (-17.20%) and Belém (-11.44%), which registered an adjustment of 15.00% in the fare on April 14. Fare is reduced on Sundays and holidays in Curitiba (-4.49%) and, in Porto Alegre (1.83%), it was adjusted by 4.17% on March 31.
Subway (0.51%) couples the adjustment of 5.33% in the fare in Rio de Janeiro (4.78%) on April 12 with the gratuity on Sundays and holidays in Brasília (-17.20%). Taxi (0.49%) reflects the average adjustment of 10.91% in the fare in Porto Alegre (4.79%), in force since March 31.
Still in Transportation, fuel accelerated from -0.38% in April to 0.11% in May, with rises in the prices of ethanol (0.54%) and gasoline (0.14%) and drops in diesel fuel (1.53%) and vehicular gas (0.96%).
In regional terms, all the localities surveyed rose
Concerning the regional indexes, the highest change was recorded in Goiânia (0.79%), due to the rises in ethanol (11.84%) and gasoline (4.11%). Conversely, the lowest result occurred in Curitiba (0.18%), whose prices of airfare (10.13%) and fruits (4.13%) dropped.
More about the survey
To calculate the IPCA-15, 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. In order to estimate the IPCA-15, prices were collected from March 18 to April 14, 2025 (reference) and compared with those in effect from February 13 to March 17, 2025 (base).
The indicator refers to households 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, besides Brasília and the municipality of Goiânia. Please take a look at the complete results on Sidra.
