The Extended National Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) had a change of 0.90% in February - a result above January’s (0.68%). During the year, the index accumulated 1.59% and, in the last twelve months, 7.09%. Prices to make these calculations were collected during the period of January 15 to February 10 and compared with prices in practice from December 10, 2003 to January 14, 2004.

Among the main causes for the index increase from a month to the other, the highlights are schools that, because of the usual tuition fee increase in the beginning of year, adjusted their tuition in 8.17% and had a 0.31% percentage point participation in February’s IPCA. Other items also presented high results, in the lead is electricity (0.91% to 1.36%), water and sewage fees (0.28% to 1.37%), cooking gas (0.20% to 1.14%), new automobiles (0.84% to 1.38%) and used automobiles (1.46% to 1.78%). With sales of end of season, prices for the clothing group has fallen (0.80% to -0.11%). Over the same period cleaning products (0.36% to -0.34%) and personal hygiene products (0.31% to -0.62%) have also fallen.

Food products rose 0.65% and came close to the 0.62% result registered in January, in spite of an increase in products such as carioca beans (0.21% in January to 20.54% in February) and potatoes (-2.53% to 5.18%), whose crops were damaged because of excessive rain. The increase was compensated by the decline in rates of other products, especially tomatoes (16.65% to 4.57%), green vegetables (4.09% to 2.92%), fish (5.91% to 1.74%), and rice (3.94% to 1.65%). Fruits (2.75% to -0.02%) and soybean oil (2.77% to -0.05%) remained virtually stable, while refined sugar (-5.04% to -10.72%) showed a bigger drop from one month to the other.

The indicator refers to families with monthly income of one to forty minimum wages and it encompasses the metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Curitíba, and also Brasília and Goiânia. IPCA-15 is measured using the same methodology as the one used for IPCA, which has its prices collected throughout the month. The difference between the two indicators is in the period of price collection.