The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) had a variation of 0.80% in February, a result which is inferior to that of January (0.83%)...

The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) had a variation of 0.80% in February, a result which is inferior to that of January (0.83%). With this result, the index accumulated in the year was 1.64%, above the 1.54% rate relative to the same period of 2010. Considering the last 12 months, the index was 6.01%, close to that of the immediately previous 12 months (5.99%). In February 2010, the rate had been 0.78%.

The group education, with a 5.81% rise and a contribution of 0.41 percentage point, was responsible for 51% of the index in February. Reflecting the readjustments peculiar to the beginning of the year, the increase of 6.41% in fees of formal education courses, with 0.31 percentage point, was the strongest individual contribution in the month. The other groups, except for household articles, personal expenses and communication, presented rates inferior to those of January.

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of one to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, and encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.

INPC changes 0.54% in February

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed 0.54% in February, 0.40 percentage point below the result of 0.94% in January. With this result, the index accumulated in the year was 1.49%, below the 1.59% rate relative to the same period of 2010. Considering the last 12 months, the index was 6.36%, below that of the immediately previous 12 months (6.53%). In February 2010, INPC had been 0.70%.

Food products did not present variation in February, whereas non-food products increased 0.78%. In January results were 1.02% and 0.90%, respectively.

The highest regional index was recorded in Porto Alegre (0.88%), under the pressure of food products (1.03%) and fares of urban buses (6.12%). Fortaleza, whose readjustment in school fees was still not appropriate, was the area to present the lowest result (0.20%).

The variation in the group Non-food products, including the group Education, besides those that presented increase in the month, rose to 0.98%, whereas it had been 0.73% in January.

The rise in the group Personal expenses (from 0.83% to 1.43%) resulted from the price increase of cigarettes (from 0.00% to 3.64%), besides games of chance (from 0.86% to 9.72%) and salaries of domestic workers (0.91% both in January and in February).

The group Transportation (from 1.55% to 0.46%) had the rate reduced between months, under the influence of the slightest price variation of important items in family expenses. The main item, fares of urban buses, changed from 4.13% to 1.30%, reflecting the readjustments of January and part of readjustments of February.

Intercity buses also presented lower rates between January and February (from 2.50% to 0.88%), a reflex of the variations occurred in São Paulo (3.41%), Recife (0.86%) and Goiânia (0.24%). As regards fares of interstate buses, the decrease was 2.04%. Plane tickets had a reduction of 11.43%.

Still in the group transportation, fuels changed from 0.84% to 0.66%. Gasoline had recorded 0.62% in January and was 0.50% in February due to the reduced growth pace of ethanol prices, whose variation was 2.55% compared to 3.78% in January.

In the group housing (from 0.61% to 0.32%), several items had the growth rate reduced between January and February, for example, manpower for small repairs (from 1.43% to 0.47%), condominium (from 1.27% to -0.90%) and cleaning products (from 0.81% to 0.08%). Apparel (from 0.12% to -0.25%) and Health and personal care (from 0.47% to 0.31%) were also inferior in January.

Food items (from 1.16% to 0.23%) had a strong reduction in the growth rate, with several products in decrease between months. It is the case of meat (from -0.19% to -2.81%), which made the main negative contribution: -0.07 percentage point.

The highest regional index was that of São Paulo (1.00%), influenced, especially, by the groups Food products and beverages (0.39%) and Transportation (0.96%), with results above average. Fortaleza, whose readjustment in school fees was still not appropriate, was the area to present the lowest result (0.22%).

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to six minimum wages, with a salaried head of the family, and encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.