The Extended Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of March changed 0.47% and stood 0.13 percentage points below the rate of 0.60% registered in February. In the first quarter of the year, the change was at 1,94%, above the 1,22% result of the first quarter of 2012. Considering the last 12 months, the index was at 6.59%, also above the 6.31% relative to the 12 preceding months. In March of 2012 the rate was at 0.21%.

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

The IPCA in March was strongly influenced by the group education, which registered 5.40% in February, exerting an impact of 0.24 percentage points, whereas in March, it had a 0.6% change, with the impact going down to just 0.03 points. But it was not only education which contributed to the contraction of the month-on-month index. Except for housing (from -2.38% to 0.51% in March) and communication (from 0.10% to 0.13%), the others recorded results below the previous month's: 

In personal expenses (from 0.57% in February to 0.54% in March), the item domestic worker  posted the sharpest rise coming from 1.12% in February to 1.53% in March, leading the main impact in the month, with 0.06 percentage points. Other items also posted highs, with a highlight to hairdresser, which moved to 1.14% in March, despite the drop of 0.27% in February. Nevertheless, when the influence of the rise in cigarettes was removed (from 0.93% to zero) and the price fall in excursions was reinforced (from -2.85% to -9.99%), there was a reduction in the change rate of the group month-on-month.

In health and personal care (from 0.65% in February to 0.32% in March), most of the items surveyed rose less than in the preceding month, with a highlight to personal hygiene articles, from 1.18% to 0.33%. The groups apparel (from 0.55% in February to 0.15% in March) and household articles (from 0.53% to 0.11%) also had its rates reduced month-on-month, with a highlight to house appliances, which posted a little drop, in the last group (from 0.73% to -0.60%).

In the group transportation, which increased 0.81% in February and decreased -0.09% in March - the lowest result in the group – the highlight is airfares, whose fall of -16.43% was even more intense than February's (-9.98%).  With -0.10 percentage points, they exerted the main impact down. Gasoline, on its turn, moved to 0.09% in March after reflecting in February's rate (4,10%) the effects of the 6.60% adjustment in the liter price in the distributors, in force since January 30. In addition, there was the influence of the sharp drops in interstate bus fees (from -0.44% in February to -0.97% in March) coupled with the slowdown in the growth rate of urban bus fees (from 0.62% to 0.35%) and in new car prices (from 0.59% to 0.35%).

Food products also posted a deceleration from February to March, moving from 1.45% to 1.14%; nevertheless, it posted the highest result in the group, accounting for 60% of the month's index, holding 0.28 percentage points of the rate. In the following table, the main highs:

The groups housing (from -2.38% in February to 0.51% in March) and communication (from 0.10% in February to 0.13% in March) rose month-on-month. The highlight in housing is electricity, which increased 0.55% in March, whereas in February the drop reached 15.17%.  The bills are already 18.04% cheaper this first quarter, reflecting the 18% reduction in the fees in force since January 24. Non-food products moved from 0.33% in February to 0.25% in March.

Among the areas, the largest index came from Belém (0.79%) due to the rise in açaí berries (18.31%), which, coupled with cassava flour (3.10%), had an impact of 0.26 percentage points - the two of them being responsible for 33% of the index in the area. The lowest index occurred in Rio de Janeiro (0.27%):

 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 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 February 28 to March 28 of 2013 (reference) were compared to those from January 30 to February 27 of 2013 (base).

INPC changes 0.60% in March

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) recorded a change of 0.60% in March, 0.08 percentage points above the rate of February (0.52%). As a result, the first quarter of the year closed at 2.05%, below the rate of 1.08% relative to the same period in 2012. Considering the last 12 months, the index was at 7.22%, above the 12 months to March 2012 (6.77%). In March last year, INPC was at 0.18%. In March this year, food products recorded a change of 1.16%, while non-food products increased by 0.36%. In February, the results were at 1.59% and 0.07%, respectively.

Among the areas, the highest indexes were seen in Belo Horizonte and Belém, both with a 0.77% rate. In Belém, the highlights were açaí berries (18.31%) and cassava flour (3.10%), which together had an impact of 0.29 percentage points, being responsible for 38% of the index of the area. In Belo Horizonte, food products rose 1.77%, influencing the month's rate. The lowest index came from São Paulo (0.45%):

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 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 February 28 to March 28 of 2013 (reference) were compared with the ones from January 30 to February 27 of 2013 (base).