The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of February recorded a change of 1.22%, being very close to the January figure (1.24%). Considering the first two months of the year, the index was 2.48%, above the 1.24% recorded in the same period in 2014. In the last twelve months, the rate reached 7.70%, the highest since May 2005, when it was 8.05%. The February 2014 IPCA was 0.69%.

The complete publication is available at https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/precos/inpc_ipca/defaultinpc.shtm.

The individual highlight in the month was gasoline , whose price rose 8.42%. Reflecting the rise of PIS/COFINS shares, which went into effect on February 1st, gasoline was responsible for an impact of 0.31 percentage points, accounting, alone, for one fourth of the IPCA (25.41%). Under strong pressure, expenditure on Transportation rose 2.20%, and this group accounted for the most relevant contribution in the month (0.41 percentage points).

Also in the group transportation, there was also increase in the shares of PINS/CONFINS for diesel fuel, which recorded a rate of 5.32%. The prices of ethanol rose 7.19%. Besides fuels (7.95%), other important expenditure on transportation also recorded rises: train (3.10%), new cars (2.88%), urban buses (2.73%), subway (2.67%), intercity buses (1.68%), cabs (1.21%) and repair of cars (1.20%).

in relation to the rates of urban buses (2.73%), there were contributions from the following areas:

As for intercity buses (1.68%), the areas influencing the result were: Curitiba (9.61%), with adjustment of 12.00% on February 08; Salvador (5.74%), with adustment of 9.00% on February 13 and Rio de Janeiro (2.37%) with 12.46% on January 10.

Given the nine groups of products and services surveyed, the most significant change was that of Education, que atingiu 5,88%, refletindo os reajustes praticados no início do ano letivo, especialmente nos valores das mensalidades which reached 5.88%, reflecting the price adjustments observed in the beginning of the school year, especially the prices of regular courses, which rose 7.24%. Except for Fortaleza, which did not record increase due to the difference of the data of readjustment, in the other areas the changes of courses ranged between 5.11% in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre and 9.78% in Rio de Janeiro. The fares of other courses (languages, computer science, etc) changed by 7.14%.

In Housing (1.22%), the highlight was electricity , with hike of 3.14%. In São Paulo (5.84%), there was part of the readjustment of one of the concessionaires, in effect since January 08. Besides, the change of prices of electricity reflected movements of value of fares and the missing installment of the Tax System on accounts, from January 1st on.

Other expenses with housing also rose from January to February, such as condominium fees (0.99%), Manpower for small repair (0.92%), bottled gás (0.91%), cleaning articles (0.81%), and residential rent (0.64%).

With price adjustment effected on December 31, January 12 and February 02, according to brand and area, the item cigarettes recorded change of 1.16%. Besides these, excursions (6.93%), hairdresser (1.09%) and manicurist (1.04%) were highlights in the group of Personal expenses (0.86%). In the group Health and personal care (0.60%) the highlights were medical and dental services (1.14%) and articles of personal hygiene (0.89%).

In the group of ?Household articles (0.87%), the increase was influenced by household appliances , the prices of which rose by 2.15% and by services of maintenance and repair of household appliances , which rose 1.70%.

As for Food and beverages, with rise of 0.81%, there was deceleration in the rise of prices, considering the rate of 1.48% recorded in the previous month. The prices of food products consumed away from home (0.95%) rose above those of food at home (0.74%). It is also observed that, in food at home , Campo Grande recorded decrease of 0.77%. As a result, changes ranged between -0.77% Campo Grande) and 1.44% (Salvador), whereas in the previous month they ranged between 1.06% (Recife) and 2.73% (Campo Grande).

Even considering the deceleration of prices, some food products remain on an upward trend, as shown in the table below:

Two groups recorded decrease in the month: Wearing apparel , with -0.60%, as a result of a period of sales Communication, with -0.02%, considering average decrease of 22.00% with rates of fixed to mobile telephony, from February 24 on.

Among the indexes by area, the biggest ones were those of Salvador (1.66%) and Recife (1.64%). The contribution came from food products and gasoline in both areas. In Salvador, food products rose 1.46% and gasoline, 13.92%. In Recife, the rate of food products was 1.51% and that of gasoline, 11.77%. The item electricity, with increase of 6.77% in Recife and 9.18% in Salvador, also affected the index of these areas. The lowest result was that of Brasília (0.57%). See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed:

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of one to forty minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses ten metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia, Campo Grande and Brasília. In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from January 29 to February 27, 2015 (reference) were compared with the ones in effect from December 30, 2014 to January 28, 2015 (base).

INPC changed by 1.16% in February

The National Consumer Price Index – INPC recorded a change of 1.16% in February, 0.32 percentage points below the result of 1.48% of January. Considering the first two months of the year, the index was 2.66%, above the percentage of 1.27% recorded in the same period in 2014. Considering the last twelve months, the index was 7.68%, being below that of the previous twelve months (7.13%). The INPC of February 2014 had been 0.64%.

Food products had a rate of 0.86% in February, whereas in January the rate was 1.48%. The group of non-food products changed by 1.29% in February, being below the 1.48% recorded in January.

Among the regional indexes, Salvador was the highlight (1.61%), with the rise of gasoline (13.92%) and food prices (1.43%) affecting the monthly rate. The lowest index was that of Campo Grande (0.54%), where food products recorded a change of 0.25%.

The table below presents the indexes by area surveyed:

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to five minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses ten metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia, Campo Grande and Brasília. In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from January 29 to February 27, 2015 (reference) were compared with the ones in effect from December 30, 2014 to January 28, 2015 (base).