The Extended National Consumer Price Index - IPCA of February (0.90%) stayed below the rate of January (1.27%) by 0.37 percentage points (p.p.). In the year, the index accumulated 2.18%, below the 2.48% accumulated in the same period of 2015.  In the last 12 months (10.36%) the cumulative rate stayed below the 10.71% of the twelve preceding months.  In February 2015, the IPCA was of 1.22%.
The complete publication of the IPCA can be found here.

Given the nine groups of products and services surveyed, the most significant change was that ofEducation, which reached 5.90%, reflecting the price adjustments practiced in the beginning of the school year, especially the monthly tuition fees of regular courses, which rose 7.43%, becoming the item of greater contribution in the month, with 0.21 p.p.. Fortaleza did not register increase due to the different reset date; on the other hand, in the other areas, regular courses stood between 3.99% recorded in the Metropolitan Area of Recife, and 10.88% of Rio de Janeiro. The monthly tuition fees of other courses(foreign languages, computes sciences, etc.) changed 5.53%. The results of all groups of products and services are as follows.

The groups Education (5.90% and 0.27 p.p. of contribution) and food and beverages (1.06% and also a contribution of 0.27 p.p.) were responsible for 60% of the IPCA of the month, or 0.54 p.p..

In February, food prices (1.06%) kept growing, though less intensively then in January (2.28%). The following table shows the main products on the rise, with a highlight to carrots (23.79%) and cassava flour (11.40%).

Among the products with falling prices, tomatoes (-12.63%) and potatoes (-5.70%) stood out.

Urban bus fees, with a high of 2.61%, are the highlight in the group transportation (0.62%) because of the rises recorded in the following areas:

In the Metropolitan Area of Curitiba, the special fees for Sundays went from R$1.50 to R$2.50, an increase of 66.67%.

For intercity buses, the high was of 2.17% under the influence of the following areas:

In the item taxi cabs (1.04%), the increases occurred as shown in the table below:

In addition, there was a 3.83% increase in train fares due to the rise of 12.12% taken place in Rio de Janeiro on February 02 and of 8.57% in São Paulo on January 09. Still concerning transportation, ethanol's prices kept rising and went to 4.22%, whereas gasoline stayed at 0.55%. On the other hand, reaching
-15.83%, the drop in airfares was significant.

Electricity bills (-2.16%) also fell and took the group housing to -0.15%, with the main negative participation (-0.09 p.p.). This behavior is due to the reduction in the value of the red tariff flag, which went from R$ 4.50 to R$ 3.00 for each 100 kilowatts-hour consumed, since February 1st. The system of Tariff Flags, which is a charging model based on thermal plants expenses, is in force since January 1st, 2015, when the value of the red tariff flag was added up to electricity bills.

As to water and sewage fees, the high was of 1.72% - reflecting the increases recorded in the following areas.

In the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, the 4.75% change in water and sewage results from the adaptation of calculations to the bonus range scale and the incorporation of contingency tariffs.

In the other groups, the highlights were: pay TV and Internet (7.86%); TV, sound and computers (2.80%); personal hygiene products (1.90%); repair and maintenance (1.90%); cigarettes (1.89%); house appliances (1.50%); health plans (1.06%); medical and dental services (0.76%); hairdresser's (0.70%).

Cigarettes (1.89%) reflected the increases occurred in certain makes and areas, besides the reduction of prices.

As to the index by areas, the highest was in the Metropolitan Area of Salvador (1.41%), with a highlight to the high of 2.55% in food prices. The lowest one was in the Metropolitan Area of Vitória (0.28%), where food products were at 0.36%, well below the national average (1.06%). The table with the results by area is as follows:

In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from January 29 to February 29 of 2016 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 30 of 2015 to January 28 of 2016 (base).

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.

National Consumer Price Index (INPC) stays at 0.95%

The National Consumer Price Index - INPC posted a change of 0.95% in February and was below January's rate (1.51%) by 0.56 p.p. In the first two months of the year, the index accumulated 2.47%, bellow the 2.66% result in the same period of 2015. Over the last 12 months, the index stood at 11.08%, below the 11.31% rate of the preceding 12 month-period. In February 2015, INPC was 1.16%.

Food products recorded 1.19% in February, whereas in January, the high was of 2.41%. The group of the non-food products had a change of 0.84% in April, well below the rate of 1.11% seen in January.

The highest index by area took place in the Metropolitan Area of Recife (1.61%), with a highlight to 9.24 % in bus urban fares, reflecting the increase of 14.28% in force since January 19. The lowest indexes were in Vitória (0.40%) and Campo Grande (0.44%), where food prices increased 0.44% in both places, well below the national average (1.19%). In the table below, the indexes by areas are shown.

In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from January 29 to February 29 of 2016 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 30 pf 2015 to January 28 of 2016 (base).

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to six minimum wages, with a salaried head of the family, and it encompasses ten Metropolitan Areas in the country, besides Brasília and the municipalities of Goiânia and Campo Grande.