In December 2014, the services sector in Brazil registered a nominal growth of 4.2% in relation to the same month a year ago, surpassing November (3.7%), yet standing below the rate in October (5.2%). In 2014, this sector accrued a nominal growth of 6.0%, the lowest rate for this indicator since the beginning of the time series (2012).

Among the five groups of activity, only Information and Communication services dropped (-1.2%). The other rates were: Services rendered to families (8.9%), Professional, administrative and complementary services (10.9%), Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities (4.8%) and Other services (3.2%).
The complete publication of the survey can be accessed on page www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/serviços/pms.

Table 1
BRAZIL - Nominal Revenue Indicators of the Services Sector, According to Groups of Activities
PMS - DECEMBER 2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

MONTHLY SECTORAL RESULTS

The segment of Services rendered to families in Brazil changed 8.9% in December over the same month a year ago, above the rates reported in November (4.4%) and in October (6.8%). Housing and food services rose 7.8% and Other services rendered to families[1], 16.0% (Table 1). The performance of the last segment was mainly due to Show business, creative and artistic activities, especially Services of promotion of cultural events, which were highly demanded in the holiday season. Services rendered to families contributed with 0.6 p.p. or 14.3% to the general index (Table 2).

[1] This includes the following services: show business, creative and artistic activities; leisure, recreational and sporting activities (except clubs); laundry services, dry cleaners and towel cleaners; hairdresser and other beauty activities; funeral activities and related services; other personal services (aesthetic clinics, housing services, hygiene and training of pets, shoe shining and porter services, etc.); support activities for education and continuing education services (language, sports, art and culture and preparatory courses, etc.).

Table 2
Composition of the Monthly Rate of Services, According to Groups of Activities
BRAZIL - DECEMBER 2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

Information and communication services posted a nominal variation of -1.2% in December over the same month a year ago. The growth rates in November and October were 1.0% and 2.1%, respectively. Communication and information technology services - ICT, which comprise telecommunications and information technology services, recorded a change of -1.5%, whereas Audiovisual, publishing and news agency services changed 0.5%. The negative change of -1.5% registered in Communication and information technology services - ICT was due to a retraction of -4.7% in Information technology services. Communication and information services accounted for -0.4 p.p. or -9.5% of the overall index (Table 2).

Professional, administrative and complementary services grew 10.9% in December, compared with the same month a year ago, above the rate in November (6.6%) and below that in October (11.3%). Technical-professional services, which encompass knowledge-intensive services, grew 7.2% and Administrative and complementary services, which encompass labor-intensive services, 12.5%. The increasing demand for Cleaning services in buildings and houses and for Safety services contributed to the growth of Administrative and complementary services in December.  

The segment of Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities registered a nominal growth of 4.8% in December over the same month last year, above the rates reported in November (3.9%). and in October (3.1%). In terms of mode, the figures were: Land transportation changed 5.7%, Waterway transportation, 25.9% and Air transportation, 3.2%. The segment of Warehousing services, support activities for transportation and mailing activities posted a growth of 0.7%.

The segment of Other services[1] recorded a nominal growth rate of 3.2%, below the rates in November (6.5%) and in October (11.4%). This was basically due to a deceleration in Financial support services, especially in Intermediation services in transactions of bonds and securities (securities brokers and dealers).  

ANNUAL RESULTS

In 2014, the services sector decelerated, since the cumulative rate in relation to 2013 (6.0%) was lower than that recorded in 2013 in relation to 2012 (8.5%), as showed in table 3. This was also the lowest cumulative rate in the time series of PMS, which started in January 2012.

The highest cumulative rate was reported by the segment of Services rendered to families: 9.2%, against 10.2% in 2013. Within this segment, Housing and food services rose 9.5% (10.6% in 2013) and Other services rendered to families, 7.1% (7.2% in 2013).

[1] This includes the following services: real estate activities (intermediation, management and administration of own and third-party properties); maintenance and repair services; financial support services; agricultural support services; sewage services and services of collection, treatment and waste disposal and recovery of materials.

Table 3
ANNUAL INDICATORS OF NOMINAL REVENUE OF THE SERVICES SECTOR,
ACCORDING TO GROUPS OF ACTIVITIES, BRAZIL, 2013-2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

Professional, administrative and complementary services posted an annual rate of 8.5%, against 8.1% in 2013, since Technical-professional services grew 6.5% (4.6% in 2013) and Administrative and complementary services, 9.3% (9.5% in 2013).    

The segment of Other services registered a cumulative growth of 6.8% (5.9% in 2013) and Transportation, support activities for transportation and mailing activities, 6.4% (10.8% in 2013), in which Land transportation rose 4.7% (10.7% in 2013), Waterway transportation, 11.8% (18.0% in 2013), Air transportation, 8.7% (16.8% in 2013) and Warehousing, support services for transportation and mailing activities, 7.8% (8.0% in 2013).

In 2014, Communication and information services recorded the lowest cumulative rate (3.4%), slightly less than half the rate posted in 2013 (6.9%), in which Information and communication technology services - ICT rose 2.9% (7.0% in 2013) and Audiovisual, publishing and news agency services, 6.3% (6.4% in 2013).

QUARTERLY RESULTS

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the services sector grew 4.4% over the fourth quarter of 2013, registering the lowest quarterly growth in the time series started in January 2012. This result was mainly due to the lowest monthly rates recorded in November and December. Except for the first quarter, the quarterly rates in 2014 were lower than those in 2013 (Table 4).

Table 4
QUARTERLY INDICATORS OF NOMINAL REVENUE OF THE SERVICES SECTOR,
ACCORDING TO GROUPS OF ACTIVITIES, BRAZIL, 2013-2014

Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Serviços e Comércio.

HALF-YEARLY RESULTS

The result of the second semester of 2014 stayed at 4.7% in relation to the second semester of 2013, standing below the growth of the first semester of 2014 over the first semester of 2013, whose rate hit 8.7%.

Concerning the results by activities, Professional, administrative and complementary services registered the highest growth rate (9.1%), followed by Services rendered to families (7.0%). Other services rose 8.1%, Transportation, support services for transportation and mailing activities, 4.3% and Communication and information services, 1.3%.

REGIONAL RESULTS

In December, the highest changes took place in Bahia (17.4%), Ceará (11.6%) and Espírito Santo (8.7%). Five Federation Units posted negative nominal rates: Piauí (-2.6%), Roraima (-2.3%), Acre (-1.5%), Amazonas and Maranhão, (both with -1.1%) (Graph 8).