The rate was exactly the same as in January (0.44%), especially due to the Education segment. Considering the first two months of the year, the Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) was 0.88%, a  lower index than the  figure in the same period of 2006 (1.00%). The ICPA accumulated in 12 months was 3.02%, very close to the rate of 2.99% registered in the 12 immediately previous months. In February 2006, the index was 0.41%. 

The February IPCA figure results mainly from the contribution of Education. This segment, with change of 3.84%, contribution with 0.24 percentage points and accounted for 55% of the result. In this group, as a consequence of the readjustments occurred in the beginning of the school year, there was 4.26% rise of school fares of formal education, and this was the major individual contribution to the index of the month (0.20 percentage points). The rates were between 2.66%, (Porto Alegre) and 5.39% (Curitiba), except in Fortaleza, a metropolitan area in which a different period of readjustment resulted in absence of price rises. The change of monthly fares of other courses (languages, computer science, etc.) was 3.56%, with a contribution of 0.04 percentage points.

The change of the group food products and beverages (0.78%) was a little below the January result (0.84%). The same occurred in relation to urban bus fares, which changed from a rise of 1.66% in January, to 1.60% in February. For this item, there were changes in the metropolitan areas of Salvador (11.73%), where the readjustment of 17.65% has been in effect since January 20; in Porto Alegre (6.49%), with a readjustment of 8.11% which went into effect on February 4^th; in Belo Horizonte (0.50%), which complemented the readjustment which had been in effect since December 30^th.

Still in the group transportation, which changed from 0.62% in January to 0.07% in February, the highlights are intercity buses (changing from 2.24% to -0.07%); and alcohol, which fell by 0.81% in February, after rise of 7.235 in January. In the same period, gasoline fell a little more: from -0.57% in January to -0.86% in February. Used cars fell by 1.34% in February, versus rise of 1.34% in the previous month.

Other highlights were medicines and fixed telephony. Medicines, which had risen by 0.30% in January, remained stable in the following month; fixed telephony, stable in January, fell by 0.48% in February, due to the reduction of 5.76% in the fares of the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre. This was a consequence of the change of the ICMS (Tax on Goods and Services) aliquot from 29% to 25%, on February 1^st.

Among the indexes by area the highest result was obtained in the metropolitan area of Salvador (1.18%), due to the contribution of urban bus fares (11.37%). On the other hand, the lowest index was that in the area of Porto Alegre (-0.04%). The table below contains the results by area surveyed.

The IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980 and it refers to families with monetary income, from any source, ranging from 1 to 40 minimum salaries.  It includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia and Brasília. For the calculation of the index of the month, prices collected from January 30th to February 28th  (reference) were compared to those charged from December 29th to January 29th (base).

INPC changed by 0.42% in February

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed by 0.42% in February, less than in January (0.49%). The index accumulated in the first two months of the year was 0.91%, higher than in the same period of 2006 (0.61%). The index accumulated in 12 months is 3.12%, also above the result of 2.93%, relative to the immediately previous 12 months. In February 2006, the index was 0.23%.

In the INPC of February, food products changed by 0.79%, whereas non-food products rose 0.28%. The highest regional index was obtained in Salvador (1.53%); the lowest one, in Porto Alegre (-0.04%), as shown in the table below. 

The INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979; it refers to families with monetary income ranging from 01 to 06 minimum salaries, headed by a salaried worker. It includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia and Brasília.  To calculate the index of the month, prices collected in the period January 30th to February 28th  (reference) were compared to those charged from December 29th to January 29th (base).