The National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of August changed by 0.15% and was 0.09 percentage points below the July rate (0.24%). With this result, the index accumulated in the year was 2.97%, below the rate of 4.48% relative to the same period in 2008. Considering the last twelve months, the result was 4.36%, also below the immediately previous twelve months (4.50%). In August 2008, the rate was 0.28%.

The rate of food products remained relatively stable: -0.01%, in August, and -0.06% in July. Pasteurized milk, which had presented high results since April, faced fall of prices from July to August (from 4.02 to – 6.61%). It was the item which presented the lowest individual contribution in the month: -0.09 percentage points. Even so, pasteurized milk remained with the highest figure in the year, with 25.21%.

Among the items which rose in August, the main contribution to IPCA (0.04 percentage points) came from fruits (4.93%). So, with the negative result of August, the group Food products and beverages accumulated rise of 2.56% in the year, below the figure accumulated in the same period last year, when it was 9.58%.

Among Non-food products, the result was 0.20%, below the 0.33% of July. The group Housing, which changed from1.11%, in July, to 0.47% in August, faced reduction mainly due to electricity (from 3.25% to 0.39%). This result reflects the complementary part of the readjustment of 12.90% of fares in the metropolitan area of São Paulo (1.50%), which went into effect on July 04; it is also a consequence of the average readjustment of 3.50% in Belém (2.16%), which went into effect on August 7. On the other hand, water and sewage affected IPCA in the month, by changing from 0.23%, in July, to 1.00% in August. The rise occurred due to the readjustment of 6.0% of fares in Rio de Janeiro, on August 1^st and 6.5%, in Fortaleza, in effect since July 25^th.

In the group transportation (from 0.14% to -0.11%) there were falling results, mainly in airplane fares (from -6.81% to -10.97%) and used cars (from -1.66% to -1.55%), besides the reduction of rates observed in interstate buses (from 5.80% to 0.60%), gasoline (from 0.68% to 0.16%) and alcohol (from 2.47% to 1.44%).

Besides Education, items of apparel also rose (from -0.01% to 0.13%), reflecting the end of the period of off-prices.

In household articles, also with falling rates, the highlights were: furniture (from 1.15% to -1.06%), household appliances (from -0.41 % to -0.40%) and repair and maintenance (from -0.86% to -0.26%).

In the group Education, the change of 0.83% reflected the results obtained in the collection conducted in August, in order to have the data for the second semester of the school year. Courses (formal education) changed by 0.74% and other courses (computer science, languages, etc.), by 1.95%. In September and in the beginning of next year there will be a new period of data collection for the fares charged.

Besides Education, items of apparel also rose (from -0.01% to 0.13%), reflecting the end of the period of off-prices.

Among the indexes by area, Brasília (0.44%), mainly due to the rise of formal education (1.42%) and  miscellaneous (1.57%). The lowest index was that of Curitiba (-0.20%), where gasoline (-1.18%) and alcohol  (-5.01%) had the lowest rates. 

To calculate the monthly index, prices collected from July 29 to August 28 (reference) were compared to those charged between June 30 and July 28 (base). IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income ranging from one to forty minimum wages, from whatever source. IPCA encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia, and Brasília.

INPC of August was 0.08%

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed by 0.08% in August, below the result of 0.23% obtained in July. Considering the index accumulated in the year, the INPC was 3.07%, significantly below that of the same period in the previous year (5.09%). Considering the last twelve months, with 4.44%, the result was below the rate of the immediately previous twelve months (4.57%). In August 2008, the INPC was 0.21%.

Food products changed by -0.21%, in August, whereas non-food products rose 0.20%. In July, the results were -0.17% and 0.40%, respectively.

To calculate the monthly index, prices collected from July 29 to August 28 (reference) were compared to those charged between June 30 and July 28 (base). INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income ranging from one to six minimum wages, with a salaried head of household and encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia, and Brasília.

Among the indexes by area, Fortaleza (0.43%) had the highest result, mainly affected by the rise of formal education (1.86%) and miscellaneous (7.20%). The lowest index was that of Curitiba (-0.34%), where gasoline (-1.18%) and alcohol (-5.01%) had the lowest rates. The table below presents the main indexes by area surveyed.