The National Index of Construction (Sinapi), calculated by IBGE in partnership with CAIXA, started 2009 with change of 0.39%, which meant deceleration of 0.23 percentage points compared to December 2008 (0.62%). The index accumulated in the last 12 months was 1.68%. Compared to January 2008 (0.44%), the change was 0.05 percentage points lower. In the last 12 months, the change of 11.68% was below the 11.73% registered in the immediately previous 12 months. 

The national cost of construction, which, in December, was R$ 676.78 by square meter, changed to R$ 679.41, being R$ 397.76 relative to material and R$ 281.65 to manpower. 

Material had increase of 0.53% in January, having decreased by 0.09 percentage points if compared to December (0.62%). Manpower had more significant deceleration, resulting in 0.18% in January versus 0.61% in December.

In the last 12 months material reached 13.62% and was below the rate of the immediately previous 12 months (13.78%). The accumulated index of manpower (9.04%) was slightly above the previous twelve months (8.97%).

South and Northeast Regions are highlights in January 

With very similar results, the South (0.53%) and the Northeast (0.52%) had the major hikes and were highlights compared to the other areas. In relation to the national average (0.39%), the North (0.29%) and Southeast (0.28%) had lower results, whereas in the Central west, the index was the same (0.39%).

The North Region had the highest index accumulated in twelve months (12.89%), whereas the lowest index accumulated in this period was that of the Northeast (11.34%).

The figures for regional costs by square meter were: R$ 718.80 (Southeast); R$ 676.89 (North); R$ 670.61 (South); R$ 649.31 (Central West) and R$ 636.25 (Northeast).

Maranhão had the main hikes among the states 

In January, Maranhão was the only state in which the monthly result was affected by salary readjustments; for this reason it was the highlight, with index of 3.08%. 

In the last 12 months, Piauí had the biggest change in the index (16.4%4%), followed by Acre (15.15%).

These results are calculated monthly by IBGE through a partnership with CAIXA - Caixa Econômica Federal, for Sinapi - National System of Costs Survey and Indexes of Construction.

Sinapi, created in 1969, is aimed at producing information and indexes for national coverage in a systematic way, in order to help in the elaboration and evaluation of budgets, monitoring of costs, adequacy of material and the scheduling of investments. 

In 2002, the National Congress sanctioned, through the law LDO (Budgetary Directives Law), the use of Sinapi as the reference to the calculation of costs in public construction.

JANUARY/2009

     SOURCE: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Índices de Preços.

  NOTA: These results are calculated monthly by IBGE in partnership with   CAIXA – Caixa Econômica Federal.