The Extended National Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) of February was 0.64%, below the result of January (0.70%).  In 2008, the indicator accumulated was 1.34 %; for the last 12 months, the indicator accumulated was 4.74%, above the value of 4.55% registered in the 12 months closed in January.  The groups food products and beverages (1.13 %) and education (3.61%) contributed with 0.50 percentage points to the index, 0.25 points each one, being responsible for approximately 80% of the rate of February.

The IPCA-15 of February brought an increase of 3.61 % in education, the highest change.  In this group, the increase of monthly fees of formal education courses was 4.09%, showing the typical practice of readjustments in the beginning of the school year. It was the item with the major individual contribution in the index of the month: 0.20 percentage points.  The metropolitan area of Fortaleza was the only one which did not have increase, as a consequence of the different period of readjustment.  The other areas had results which ranged from 2.96% in Rio de Janeiro to 6.44% in Goiânia.  In the monthly fees of diverse courses (languages, computer science, etc.), the change was 4.32%.

In the group food products, the hike was 1.13%, below the rate of January (1.96%).  Beans (10.46% in February, compared to 28.34% in January), despite the lowest change, continued with its prices high. On the other hand, meats (4.05% in January) had cheaper prices in February (-0.99%).

The rate of non-food products was 0.97%, compared to 0.35% of January, as a consequence of the increase in the fares of urban buses in Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Recife, besides the readjustment of school monthly fees.  Fuels (-1.09%) brought the lowest contribution: -0.05 percentage points.  The price of gasoline became 1.17% cheaper, and alcohol decreased by 1.42%.

Recife brought the major index by area (1.15 %), due, mainly, to the increases of urban buses (9.38%). Curitiba (0.47%) and Porto Alegre (0.45%) had the lowest results.

To calculate IPCA-15, prices collected from January 15 to February 14 were compared to those collected between December 11 and January 14.  The indicator refers to families with income ranging from 1 to 40 minimum wages and covers the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Curitiba, besides Brasília and the municipality of Goiânia.  The methodology used is the same of the IPCA; the difference lies in the period of price collection.