The Extended Consumer Price Index – 15 (IPCA-15) changed by 0.27% in May and was above the index of April (0.17%), with rates of 1.85% accumulated in the year and of 4.31% in the last 12 months.

The hike of medicines (2.45%) was the main cause of the increase of the index from April to May. Having contributed 0.10 percentage points to the result of IPCA-15 this month, the prices of medicines reflected the average rise of 5.5% of about 20 thousand types of medicines. The readjustment had been authorized since March 31 by the Regulatory Agency of the Medicine Market (CMED). With 0.71% in April, medicines accumulated hike of 3.76% in the year.

Gasoline also affected the index of the month: its increase (1.02%) reflects the participation of Goiânia (8.99%), Recife (6.79%), Porto Alegre (2.39%) and Curitiba (1.15%), as a consequence of the transfer to the consumer of the readjustment of fuel alcohol. Alcohol, on the other hand, fell by 4.21%, due, mainly, to the contribution of the metropolitan area of São Paulo, where prices were reduced by 8.69%. Prices were also lower in Curitiba (-6.05%).

In relation to food products (0.06%), the rate was close to stability, having interrupted a trend started in February (-0.40%). This occurred, mainly, due to the poultry raising subsector, which controlled the excessive offer of products brought by the present crisis. The prices of chicken not only stopped decreasing, but also rose 2.43% in the average of the areas surveyed; this result was strongly influenced by the rises in Porto Alegre (13.82%), Rio de Janeiro (12.12%) and Curitiba (7.65%).

Still referring to food products, tomatoes, currently in its period of time between harvests, was the highlight for having become 32.20% more expensive. All the areas had significant increases, but the hike reached 76.74% in Recife and 61.92% in Fortaleza.

The metropolitan areas of Porto Alegre and Recife, both with 0.66% had the highest regional indexes. In Porto Alegre,  food products had increase of 0.80%, and, in Recife, of 0.46%. Fuels also had increases above the average in these areas. Gasoline rose by 2.39% in Porto Alegre and by 6.79% in Recife. As for alcohol, Porto Alegre had 0.64%, whereas Recife reached 3.67%.