For the calculation of the monthly index, prices collected from March 30 to April 28, 2010 (reference), were compared with prices in effect from February 26, 2009, to March 29, 2010 (base). IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980, and it refers to families with monetary income ranging from 01 to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, encompassing nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.

INPC of April was 0.73%

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed by 0.73% in April, being very close to the result of 0.71% recorded in March. With this monthly rate, the index accumulated in the year was 3.05%, significantly above the 1.71% relative to the same period in 2009. Considering the last twelve months, the index was 5.49%, more than in the immediately previous twelve months (5.30%). In April 2009, INPC was 0.55%.

The change of food products was 1.72%, whereas that of non-food products was 0.30%. In March these figures were 1.68% and 0.30%, respectively.

Among the indexes by area, the highest one was that of Brasília (1.09%) with rise of the price of gasoline (7.76%). The lowest index was that of Porto Alegre (0.59%) where food products changed by 1.08%.

The table below shows the indexes by area surveyed: 

For the calculation of the monthly index, prices collected from March 30 to April 28, 2010 (reference), were compared with prices in effect from February 26, 2009, to March 29, 2010 (base). INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979, and it refers to families with monetary income ranging from 01 to 06 minimum wages, whatever the source, with a salaried head of the household and it encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. 

From one month to the other, there were decreases in the following food products: carrots (-3.14 %), fruits (-2.51%), soybean oil (-2.38%), green vegetables (-2.19%) and rice (-1.27%). 

The rate of non-food products rose from 0.22%, in March to 0.31%, in April. The average rise of 4.6% in prices of a group of medicines, scheduled to be effected on March 31^st, accounted for 2.22% of change in IPCA. This result represented the third major contribution in the month: 0.06 percentage points. In March, prices remained relatively constant. 

Besides medicines, new cars and apparel also contributed to the acceleration of the rate from March to April. The rise of car prices, which changed from a decline by 0.72%, in March, to increase of 1.04%, in April, reflects the effect of Taxes on Manufactured Products (IPI), charged over new cars since April 1^st.  Apparel, which changed from 0.66%, in March, to 1.28%, in April, reflected the hike observed due to the start of a new season. Another highlight was the salaries of domestic workers, which also presented significant change (1.60%), although not as big as in March (1.81%).

Fuels became cheaper with the fall of 1.23% in April, after significant reduction observed in March (-2.51%). This can be seen as a result of the decline of gasoline, whose price fell 1.95%, in March and 0.56% in April. Ethanol had a similar performance, having changed from -8.87%, in March, to -8.37% in April.

Among the indexes by area, the highest rate was that of Brasília (1.07%), where the highest results in the month came from apparel (2.39%) and gasoline (7.76%). Goiânia (0.10%) had the lowest index, considering, mainly, significant decreases both in gasoline (-7.72%) and ethanol (-14.37%). See below a table with monthly results by area surveyed. 

The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of April changed by 0.57% and was 0.05 percentage points above the March rate (0.52%). With this result, the index accumulated in the year was 2.65%, significantly higher than the rate of 1.72% relative to the same period in 2009. Considering the last twelve months, the index was 5.26%, also above the immediately previous twelve months (5.17%). The IPCA of April was 0.48%. 

In spite of the deceleration observed in part of the products and services, the rise of medicines, the increase of the IPI (tax on manufactured products) charged in car purchases and the entrance in the market of new apparel items have accounted for the increase of IPCA from one month to the other. The table below shows changes in both groups: 

In the group food products, the increase of 1.45%, although lower than the rate of 1.55% in the previous month, remained very significant; prices have already accumulated 5.19% this year. Pasteurized milk, even with a change of 7.43% in April, lower than the 8.03% of March, was the leader in terms of individual contributions (0.08 percentage points). Beans rose 27.88% after the 6.64% of the previous month, and the kilogram of carioca beans became 43.13% more expensive in April, accounting for the second main contribution (0.07 percentage points) to the overall result. See below the main food products with rising prices.