The Extended Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of November changed 0.69% and remained 0.25 percentage point above the rate of October (0.44%). With this result, the IPCA accumulated 6.68% in the year, below the percentage of 8.74% relative to the same period of 2003. In the last twelve months, the index remained in 7.24%, above the result of the twelve preceding months (6.86%). In November 2003, the rate was 0.34%.

The hike in the rate from one month to the other one occurred mainly due to the increase in the prices of fuels. Besides having received the major part of the passing on of the readjustment of 4% in the gasoline, which happened in the refineries on October 15, the index also was influenced by the increase of alcohol that happened in the plants. Concerning the liter of gasoline, the consumers were paying 2.56% more, on the average, in the surveyed areas, while alcohol became 11.17% more expensive. The major individual contributions to the index were gasoline (0.11 point) and alcohol (0.10 point) which, together, answered for 0.21 percentage point of the rate of the month. Due to the influence of fuels, air tickets hiked 2.86%. Also, the price of cooking gas went up (1.45%). In the year, gasoline and alcohol accumulated, respectively, rates of 9.11% and 28.00%.

Line telephone and

food products also influenced the index of November. The accounts of telephone were, on the average, 2.66% more expensive, as a consequence of the second part of the extraordinary readjustment in the year. The food products (-0.01%), although almost stable, had a hike of 0.22 percentage point in relation to October (-0.23%) and accumulate a rate of 3.19% in the year. With the low supply, the prices of black beans increased 2.51%, while the type carioca had a more expressive hike (11.25%). The meats went up 1.86%. Among the products that became more expensive, stood out: fish (3.47%), white plantation sugar (2.95%) and chicken (2.89%). The non-food products, with change of 0.90% in November against 0.64% in October, accumulate a rate of 7.75% in the year.

Among the areas, the highest indexes were observed in Brasília (0.95%) and Belo Horizonte (0.90%) and the lowest indexes, in Rio de Janeiro (0.50%) and Porto Alegre (0.52%).

The IPCA is calculated by the IBGE since 1980 and it refers to families with a monetary income, from any source, ranging from 01 to 40 minimum wages. It includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. To calculate the index of November, prices collected in the period between October 28 to November 25 (reference period) were compared to prices charged in the period between September 28 to October 27 (base period).

The following table contains the indexes by area in the last two months and the accumulated index in the year:

INPC OF NOVEMBER WAS 0.44%

 The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) had a change of 0.44% in November and remained 0.27 percentage point above the rate of October (0.17%). With this result, the INPC accumulates rate of 5.23% in the year, below the percentage of 9.79% relative to the same period of 2003. In the last twelve months, the rate remained in 5.80%, slightly above the result of the twelve previous months (5.72%). In November 2003, the INPC had a change of 0.37%.

The group food products had a negative change of 0.09%, above the rate of October (-0.57%). The non-food products had a change of 0.67%, a result above the one recorded in October (0.49%).

The highest index by area was recorded in Belo Horizonte (0.80%) and the lowest, in Curitiba (0.27%).

The INPC is calculated by the IBGE since 1979 and it refers to families with monetary income ranging from 01 to 08 minimum wages whose head is a salaried worker. It includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. To calculate the index of November, prices collected in the period between October 28 to November 25 (reference period) were compared with prices charged in the period between September 28 to October 27 (base period).

The table below contains the indexes by areas in the last two months and the accumulated index in the year: