Medicines increased 4.16% in May and represented major individual contribution to the index (0.16 percentage point)

The Extended Consumer Price Index -15 (IPCA-15) changed 0.83% in May, above April (0.74%). In the year, the index accumulates a rate of 3.38% and in the last twelve months (from April 2004 to May 2005), 8.19%. The prices for the calculation of the current month were collected in the period April 14 to May 13 and compared with the prices charged between March 15 and April 13.

As a consequence of the readjustment of March 31 upon products with managed prices, the medicines turned 4.16% more expensive. Hence, they represented the major individual contribution in the index of the month, 0.16 percentage point. The accounts of electricity, with change of 3.85%, also hiked due to readjustments in the metropolitan areas of Salvador (14.57%), Belo Horizonte (13.57%), Recife (9.03%), Porto Alegre (6.56%) and Fortaleza (4.74%). Regarding urban buses, the hike of 2.11% came from the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, where the tariffs increased 10.43% due to the readjustment that occurred in April 09.

Also increased the prices of food products (0.84%) and apparel (1.56%). Among the food products, prices of products with considerable participation in the budget of the families increased due to climatic reasons. Potatoes (16.17%), beans (9.18%), "carioca" beans (8.75%), tomatoes (6.67%), crystallized (4.82%) and refined sugar (4.51%) are some highlights. Regarding apparel, the hike reflected the more expensive prices of the autumn - winter collection.

Among the areas, the major results came from Porto Alegre (1.37%) and Rio de Janeiro (1.35%). In Porto Alegre, considerable increases occurred in several important items: electricity (6.56%), line telephone (4.14%), gasoline (3.78%), mobile telephone (2.30%), besides food products (1.27%), which increased above the national average. In Rio de Janeiro (1.35%), where the food products also turned more expensive than the average, the index was pressured by public transportation (9.59%). The consumer is paying more for the tariffs of urban bus fares (10.43%), inter municipal buses (8.16%), cabs (6.57%) and subway (4.20%).

The IPCA-15 refers to families with monetary income ranging from 1 to 40 minimum wages, from any source, and includes the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Curitiba, besides Brasília and Goiânia. The methodology used is the same one of the IPCA. The difference between the two indexes remains in the period of price collecting.

May

General Index

     0.83%

Porto Alegre

1.37%

Rio de Janeiro

1.35%

Belo Horizonte

1.25%

Recife

1.05%

Salvador

0.99%

Brasília

0.79%

São Paulo

0,58%

Fortaleza

0.54%

Curitiba

0.34%

Goiânia

0.25%

Belém

0.24%