The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of April increased by 0.55%, above the result of March (0.48%). Considering the year, the IPCA recorded 2.08%, a result above the value of the same period of 2007, when it had reached 1.51%.  In the last 12 months, the result was 5.04%, also above the rate of the immediately previous 12 months (4.73%).  In April 2007, the IPCA had been 0.25%.

From March to April, the prices of food products increased from 0.89% to 1.29%.  They were responsible for approximately half of the rate of the month: 0.28 percentage points.  Several products had hike. Bread rolls, with prices 7.33% more expensive in April, brought the major individual contribution: 0.08 percentage points.  Besides bread, other wheat products turned more expensive: flour (6.80%), sweet bread (3.02%), noodles (2.34%), and sandwich loaf (1.12%).

The following products also increased: onions (15.87%), pasteurized milk (3.56%), soybean oil (3.18%), rice (1.96%), and meats (1.35%), among others.

The following products decreased such as carioca beans (-10.99%), eggs (-4.03%), chicken (-3.02%), refined sugar (-1.25%) and black beans (-0.73%).

Besides food products, other important items in the expenditure of families increased in April: apparel (1.53%), cleaning products (1.41%) such as sanitary water, soap bar, etc..., medicines (1.18%) and articles of personal hygiene (0.80%) such as shampoo, soap, etc...

With these results, non-food products changed by 0.34%, slightly below the result of March (0.36%), as a consequence of the decreases observed in alcohol (-0.65%), electricity (-0.49%) and gasoline (-0.14 %).

The metropolitan area of Belém had the major change of the IPCA in April, 1.31%, due mainly to the results of food products (2.63%) and electricity (4.29%). The lowest index was registered in Belo Horizonte (-0.05%), due to decrease of electricity (-11.88%), as a consequence of the reduction of 17.10% in tariffs, given by the Aneel (National Agency of Electricity) in April 8.  The metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre and Recife also brought results above the national index: 0.91% each one, as shown in the table below.

The IPCA is calculated by the IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monetary income ranging from 1 to 40 minimum wages, from any source.  It covers nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.  To calculate the index of the month, prices collected from March 29 to April 29 (reference period) were compared to those charged from March 1 to March 28 (base period).

INPC changed by 0.64% in April

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed by 0.64% in the month of April, above the result of March (0.51%).  The index accumulated in the year was 2.34%, considerably above the rate of the same period of the previous year (1.62%).  In the last twelve months, the result of 5.90% was also above the rate of 5.50% of the twelve immediately previous months. In April 2007, the INPC had been 0.26%.

In April, food products changed by 1.29%, while non-food products increased by 0.37%. 

Similarly as the IPCA, the metropolitan area of Belém registered the major INPC in April (1.61%), followed by Recife (1.08%).  The lowest rate was observed in Belo Horizonte (-0.11%), as shown in the table below.

 The INPC is calculated by IBGE since 1979, it refers to families, headed by a salaried worker, with monetary income ranging from one to six minimum wages.  It covers nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.  To calculate the index of the month, prices collected from March 29 to April 29 (reference period) were compared to prices charged from March 1 to March 28 (base period).