The Extended Consumer Price Index - IPCA of April changed 0.87%, a rate above the one of March (0.61%). With this result, the index accumulates 2.68% in the first four months of the year, hence, above the percentage of 2.23% recorded in 2004. In the last twelve months, the index was 8.07%, above the twelve previous months (7.54%). In April 2004, the rate was 0.37%.

From March to April, food products, whose prices increased 0.81%, as well as non-food products, with 0.89%, presented rates with an increasing trend. In March, food products and non-food products changed, 0.26% and 0.71%, respectively.

The urban buses, with hikes in the tariffs in three among eleven surveyed areas increased 2.57% and, although below the rate of March (5.02%), continued in the leadership of the main individual impacts, responsible for 0.13 percentage points of contribution. Presently, they are accompanied by medicines, also responsible for 0.13 percentage point. With readjustment allowed by the Regulatory Chamber for Medicines since March 31, the medicines turned, on the average, 3.26% more expensive. 

The hike of 2.57% in urban bus fares showed part of the increases that occurred in Rio de Janeiro (8.12%), which had readjustment of 12.50% in April 9; in Porto Alegre (4.79%), with readjustment of 12.90% in March 13; and in São Paulo (2.04%), whose readjustment in March 05 was 17.65%.

The accounts of electricity also had expressive participation (0.10 percentage point) in the index of the month and, with increases recorded in five areas, the hike reached 2.22%. Besides the annual contractual readjustments, the item electricity had also increases in the ICMS (value-added tax on sales and services) upon the tariffs and readjustment in the value of the public illumination tax. The five areas with changes in the value of this account were: Belo Horizonte (12.37%); Porto Alegre (8.67%); Goiânia (4.99%); Fortaleza (4.81%) and Salvador (4.63%).

The increase of gasoline (0.42%) can be attributed, mainly, to the hike of prices in Porto Alegre (6.22%) and Goiânia (4.06%). Alcohol, whose change was 0.51%, was pressured mainly by increases that occurred in Porto Alegre (6.98%), Goiânia (4.27%) and Curitiba (5.28%). Regarding cooking gas (0.20%), it reflected, basically, hikes observed in Salvador (2.39%) and Porto Alegre (2.02%).

Regarding the group food products, the rate passed from 0.26% in March to 0.81% in April. Basic consumer products such as pasteurized milk (4.50%), bread rolls (2.11%), refined sugar (5.02%) and crystallized sugar (6.75%) became more expensive. Potatoes hiked 10.44%, while the prices of carioca beans increased 5.65%.

 

Analysis by areas of the IPCA 

Among the indexes by areas, the highest rate was observed in Porto Alegre (1.87%), which presented changes above the overall result in several items. The main increases, due to their importance in the families’ expenditure, were the following:

 

%

 

Electricity

8.67

Line Telephone

7.03

Alcohol

6.98

Mobile Telephone

6.90

Gasoline

6.22

Urban Bus

4.79

Cooking Gas

2.02

 

 

 

Regarding the lowest index by areas, it was registered in Salvador (0.22%), where some items of consumption decreased, especially food products (-0.20%).

 

See below the indexes by areas of the IPCA in the last two months:

AREA

PARTICIPATION BY AREAS (%)

CHANGE (%)

  

MARCH

APRIL

IN THE YEAR

Porto Alegre

9.19

0.48

1.87

3.80

Goiânia

3.78

0.39

1.40

2.79

Belo Horizonte

9.15

0.87

1.25

3.15

Rio de Janeiro

13.40

0.29

1.07

2.64

São Paulo

36.26

0.87

0.73

2.84

Fortaleza

3.34

0.56

0.62

2.53

Curitiba

7.49

0.85

0.58

2.00

Recife

4.25

0.59

0.52

2.08

Brasília

3.06

0.20

0.36

2.40

Belém

3.85

0.37

0.31

1.85

Salvador

6.23

-0.15

0.22

1.23

BRAZIL

100.00

0.61

0.87

2.67

 

 

The IPCA is calculated by the IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monetary income, from any source, ranging from 01 to 40 minimum wages, and includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. To calculate the index of April, prices collected between March 30 to April 28 (reference period) were compared with prices charged from March 01 to March 29 (base period).

 

INPC of April remains in 0.91%

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed 0.91% in April and remained above the rate of March (0.73%) in 0.18 percentage point. With the result of April, the INPC accumulates a rate of 2.68% in the first four months of the year, above the result of 2.22% registered in the four first months of 2004. In the last twelve months, the index was 6.61%, percentage above the one obtained in the previously twelve months (6.08%). In April 2004, the INPC was 0.41%.

The prices of food products changed 0.69%, above the rate of 0.23% registered in March. The group of non-food products changed 0.94% and remained below the index of March (1.00%).

The major index by areas was registered in Porto Alegre (2.11%), and the lower, in Belém (0.29%).

The following table contains the indexes by areas in the last two months.

AREA

 

PARTICIPATION BY AREA

(%)

 

CHANGE (%)

  

MARCH

APRIL

IN THE YEAR

Porto Alegre

7.66

0.78

2.11

4.45

Rio de Janeiro

10.80

0.19

1.46

2.69

Belo Horizonte

11.02

0.89

1.33

2.98

Goiânia

5.02

0.51

1.28

2.61

São Paulo

26.79

1.35

0.84

3.19

Curitiba

7.09

0.73

0.52

1.44

Fortaleza

6.20

0.48

0.45

2.57

Brasília

2.19

0.63

0.42

3.06

Recife

7.21

0.55

0.40

2.00

Salvador

10.30

-0.03

0.31

1.38

Belém

5.72

0.51

0.29

2.01

BRAZIL

100.00

0.73

0.91

2.68

 

The INPC is calculated by the IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monetary income ranging from 01 to 08 minimum wages, headed by a salaried worker, and includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. To calculate the index of April, prices collected between March 30 and April 28 (reference period) were compared with prices charged between March 01 to March 29 (base period).

The complete tables, with the changes of April, besides the indexes by areas, can be found in the IBGE’s site (www.ibge.gov.br)

. See the text and afterwards "Conjuncture Indicator".