The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) changed 0.38% in January, surpassing the 0.30% rate of December by 0.08 percentage points (p.p.). This was the lowest IPCA for the months of January since 1979, when the time series started. Considering the last 12 months, the index decreased to 5.35%, below the 6.29% recorded over the 12 months prior to that period. In January 2016, the rate had been 1.27%. Click here to access the complete publication.

Urban bus fares, which rose 2.84%, led the ranking of the main individual impacts, with 0.07 p.p. With a great importance in the consumer expenses, urban bus fares have the significant participation of 2.61% in the composition of the IPCA. As a result, the group transportation presents the highest change in the group.

Of the 13 places surveyed, urban bus fares became more expensive in eight, especially in Brasília (14.75%) and Vitória (15.19%). In Brasília, the 25% price rise was in force from January 02 to 18, when it was abrogated by a decision of the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District. From January 28 on, the increase of 25.00% came again in effect.

Another increase was the one occurred in the fares of intercity buses in four areas. In the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, the 6.65% increase granted by the Empresa Metropolitana de Transportes Urbanos (EMTU) to intercity buses came in force from January 08 to 11, being suspended on January 12. Such increase was not again applied in the period of reference of the index.

Fuels (1.28%) also leveraged the expenses with transportation, since the liter of ethanol became 3.10% more expensive - with a highlight to Campo Grande (6.12%) -, whereas the liter of gasoline increased 0.84%. Even so, transportation, despite being the highest change in the group, presented strong deceleration in the price growth rate from December to January, going from 1.11% to 0.77%. That was mainly due to airfares, which rose from 26.29% in December to -7.36% in January.

On the other hand, food and beverages, which went from 0.08% to 0.35%, and housing, from -0.59% to 0.17%, showed significant acceleration, contributing to the increase of the IPCA from one month to the other. In the first group, food away from home increased from 0.33% to 0.69%, whereas food at homewent from -0.05% to 0.17%.

Major Food Indexes Up

In food products, some items became quite cheaper, as carioca beans (-13.58%), while others, such as soybean oil (7.66%), went up.

In the group housing, the drop in electricity bills was less intense. In December, bills got 3.70% cheaper, exerting the major impact down. That is attributable to the end of the additional charge of R$1.50 relative to the yellow tariff flag. In January, the drop was 0.60% because of the reduction of PIS/COFINS in most surveyed areas. On the side of the high rates, in housing, the highlights were water and sewage fees, whose 0.61% change was due to Campo Grande (7.37%), where there was an increase of 8,42% on January 03, and to Rio de Janeiro (5.12%), with a 7.13% rise on the first of January.

The other groups stand out with highs in the following items: excursion (2.51%), reading (2.27%) and mobile phones (1.67%).

Household articles (-0.10%) and wearing apparel (-0.36%) were the two groups with lows in the index of month.

Analyzing the indexes by area, the highest one was in Brasília (0.72%), where urban bus had an increase of 14.75% as a result of the 25.00% rise in force from January 02 to 18, when it was interrupted just to be charged again on January 28. The lowest index occurred in the Metropolitan Area of Porto Alegre (0.18%).

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of 01 to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, and it encompasses ten Metropolitan Areas in the country, besides Brasília and the municipalities of Goiânia and Campo Grande. In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from December 30, 2016 to January 30 of 2017 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 1 to 29 of 2016 (base).

IPCA changes 0.42% in January

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) recorded a change of 0.42% in January and stood above the rate of 0.14% of December by 0.28 p.p. Considering the last 12 months, the index decreased to 5.44%, below the 6.58% recorded over the 12 months prior to that period. In January 2016, the INPC had recorded 1.51%.

Food products had a high of 0.35% in January while in the previous month the change had been of 0.05%. The group of non-food products had a change of 0.45%, well above the rate of 0.18% of December.

As to the indexes by area, the highest one was in Brasília (1.08%), where urban bus had an increase of 14.75% as a result of the 25.00% rise in force from January 02 to 18, when it was interrupted just to be charged again on January 28. The lowest index occurred in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (0.07%).

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of 01 to 05 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 estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from December 30, 2016 to January 30 of 2017 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 1 to 29 of 2016 (base).