The Extended National Consumer Price Index - IPCA – of March was 0.21%, considerably below the rate of 0.45% recorded in February. As a result, the first quarter of the year closed at 1.22%, below the rate of 2.44% relative to the same period of 2011. Considering the last 12 months, the index was at 5.24%, below the rate of the 12 immediately previous months (5.85%). In March of 2011, the rate was 0.79%.

The complete publication can be accessed at https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/precos/inpc_ipca/defaultinpc.shtm

 The IPCA of March, 0.21%, is 0.24 percentage points lower, representing 46% of the 0.45% IPCA of February, that is, less than a half of the index of that month.

This strong reduction is due to the education group, which concentrated 5.62% in February and exerted an impact of 0.25 percentage points on the index. In March, with a change of 0.54%, it impacted only 0.02 percentage points of the index.

Similarly, other activities presented lower results in relation to the previous month, except for food products and beverages (from 0.19% to 0.25%) and transportation (from –0.33% to 0.16%).

In the personal expenses group (from 0.88% to 0.55%), the domestic personnel item recorded a more moderate increase, as it changed from 1.78% in February to 1.38% in March.

Even though, it exerted the main impact on the month, with 0.05 p.p.

As for expenses with housing (from 0.60% to 0.48%), the values of renting influenced the result due to the significant reduction in the growth rate, decreasing from 1.19% in February to 0.45% in March.

In addition, the values of condominium maintenance fees (from 0.68% to 0.48%) and bottled gas (from 0.72% to 0.41%) rose less. 

In the health and personal care group (from 0.70% to 0.38%), the negative influences came from medicines, which reduced from 0.57% to 0.02%, and personal hygiene, which changed from 0.89% to 0.34%.

Apparel articles

presented the most substantial drop (from –0.23% to –0.61%) among the three products and services groups with negative results in March. In the household articles group (from 0.06% to -0.40%), the highlights were house appliances (from -0.38% to -1.50%) and TV, sound and computer equipment (from -1.73% to -1.59%). 

In communication, which changed from –0.17% to –0.36%, the influence came mainly from landline telephones (from –0.52% to –1.07%).

Only two groups recorded results higher than those of the previous month:

transportation (from -0.33% to 0.16%) and food products and beverages (from 0.19% to 0.25%). The highlights in transportation were air tickets (from –8.84% to 1.34%) and fuels (from -0.83% to 0.44%). The non-food products group changed from 0.53% in February to 0.20% in March.

In the food products and beverages group, meals taken inside exerted the main pressure, as they changed from –0.03% to 0.21%.

The main items with price increases in the month are listed in the following table.

Food consumed outside rose less, from 0.59% to 0.31%, between February and March.

Among the regional indexes, the highest index was from Fortaleza (0.81%), influenced by education (6.27%), due to the increase in the monthly fees of regular courses (9.71%) in March.

The lowest index was registered by Rio de Janeiro (-0.05%), influenced by the drop of domestic personnel (3.22%).

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

In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from March 1 to 28 (reference) were compared with the ones from January 28 to February 29 (base).

INPC changes 0.18% in March

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) recorded a change of 0.18% in March, 0.21 percentage points lower than the result of February (0.39%).

As a result, the first quarter of the year closed at 1.08%, lower than the rate of 2.16% relative to the same period of 2011. Considering the last 12 months, the index was at 4.97%, lower than the rate relative to the 12 immediately previous months (5.47%). In March of 2011, INPC was at 0.66%.

Food products

recorded a change of 0.25% in March, while non-food products increased by 0.15%. In February, the results were at 0.21% and 0.47%, respectively.　

In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from March 1 to 28 (reference) were compared with the ones from January 28 to February 29 (base)　

Among the regional indexes, the highest index was from Fortaleza (0.63%), influenced by education (5.15%), due to the increase in the monthly fees of regular courses (9.95%) in March.

The lowest index was in São Paulo (-0.06%), where food products remained unchanged and transportation dropped –0.24%. 

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

In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from March 1 to 28 (reference) were compared with the ones from January 28 to February 29 (base).