The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of April changed 0.61%, staying above March's rate of 0.43% by 0.18 percentage points (p.p.). Considering the frist four months of the year, the index stands at 3.25%, below the 4.56% registered in the same period of 2015. In the last 12 months, the rate went to 9.28%, lower than the 9.39% of the prior 12-month period. In April 2015, the IPCA stood at 0.71%. Click here to access the complete publication.

The groups food and beverages, with increase of 1.09% and a contribution of 0.28 percentage points, and health and personal care with 2.33% and 0.26 percentage points, accounted for 89% of the monthly index, representing, together, 0.54 percentage points.

In terms of food (1.09%), among the areas surveyed, the biggest increase was that of the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (2.14%). Considering the overall index, the main hikes were those of potato (13.13%) and assai (9.22%). Tomato became 15.26% cheaper from March to April.

Medicines, 6.26% more expensive, exerted pressure on health and personal care (2.33%), the highest result in the group. That reflects part of the price adjustment of 12.50% in effect since April 1st. The item medicines, with 0.20 percentage points, represented the main individual contribution to the index. Health insurance (1.06%), personal hygiene products (0.58%) and lab and hospital services (0.52%) are other highlights.

Seven groups accounted, together, for an impact of 0.07 percentage points, representing 11% of the monthly index. The main items in them were: mobile telephones (4.01%), accessories and pieces (1.55%), water and sewage fees (1.51%), cleaning articles (1.46%), airfares (1.43%), TV, sound and computer (1.30%), motorcycles (1.18%), women's wearing apparel (0.95%), banking services (0,94%), car insurance (0.83%), manicurist (0.81%), license plates and permits (0.77%), domestic worker (0.70%), urban buses (0.69%), footwear (0.60%).

The result of water and sewage fees (1.51%) was influenced by the metropolitan areas of Curitiba (10.12%), where the fee was adjusted by 10.48% starting on April 1st; of Recife (6.51%), with rise of 10.69% on March 20; and of Fortaleza (2.49%), where fees became 11.96% more expensive on April 23.

Regarding the item urban buses (0.69%), Porto Alegre (14.68%) contributed to the result, given the 15.38% rise of fees, in effect since March 30th.

In telephony, the hike of 4.01% of mobile telephones results from increases in the fees charged by one of the mobile network operators in April.

Electricity (-3.11%) was the item accounting for the most significant impact downwards (-0.12 p.p.). This behavior resulted from the end of the yellow-flag fee, since the charge of R$ 1.50 per every 100 kilowatt/hour consumed was interrupted on April 1st. Electricity bills became cheaper in almost all the areas surveyed. Exceptions were recorded in Fortaleza, with a hike of 2.42%, reflecting the adjustment of 12.97% in effect since April 22, and Campo Grande (0.38%), with a hike of 7.40% starting on April 08. Besides electricity, other items were a highlight in terms of prices, such as ethanol (-4.89%), excursions (-2.21%) and cigarette (-0.99%). Cigarette,with a decrease of 0.99%, reflected price adjustment and reductions of some brands taken place in some areas in the months of March and April.

Considering the regional indexes, the highest one was that of the metropolitan area of Fortaleza (1.02 %), due to the water and sewage fee (2.49%), with adjustment of 11.96% on April 23 and t electricity (2.42%), given the price adjustment of 12.97% in effect since April 22. The lowest index was that of São Paulo, 0.36%, mainly due to the result of 0.77% of foods, below the national average (1.09%), besides the decrease of 6.78% in the liter of etanol.

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly earnings of one to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, and it encompasses ten metropolitan areas in Brazil, besides the municipalities of Goiânia, Campo Grande and Brasília. In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from March 31 to April 28 (reference) were compared with the ones from March 01 to 30 (base).

INPC changes 0.64% in April

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) (INPC) recorded a change of 0.64% in March, staying above the 0.44% rate of February by 0.20 percentage points. Considering the first two months of the year, the index was 3.58%, below the percentage of 4.95% recorded in the same period in 2015. In the last 12 months, the rate reached 9.83% and was below the 9.91% relative to the previous 12 months. In April 2015, INPC was 0.71%.

Food products recorded 1.11 % in April, whereas in March the rate was of 1.12%. The group of the non-food products had a change of 0.43% in April, quite above the rate of 0.14% seen in March.

Among the regional indexes, the biggest one was that of the metropolitan area of Fortaleza, with 1.11%, mainly due to water and sewage fee (2.49%), which rose by 11.96% on April 23 and to electricity (2.82%), due to the price adjustment of 12.97%, in effect since April 22. The smallest index was that of the metropolitan area of São Paulo, which became 0.32% smaller, mainly due to the result of 0.79% of food products, below the national average (1.11%), besides the decrease of 6.78% in the liter of ethanol.

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to five minimum wages, with a salaried head of the family, and it encompasses ten metropolitan areas in the country, besides Brasília and the municipality of Goiânia. In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from March 31 to April 28 (reference) were compared with the ones from March 01 to 30 (base).