The Extended Consumer Price Index - 15 (IPCA-15) changed 0.70 % in January 2008, the same result as the rate of December 2007.  The influence of food products continued to be observed, and the prices of this group increased 1.96%, more than in the previous month, when the hike had been 1.73%. 

The group food products and beverages brought 0.42 percentage points of contribution to the formation of the IPCA-15 of January, being responsible for 60% of this rate.  In the metropolitan area of Salvador, the hike reached 4.40%, and the consumer paid 84.72 % more for carioca beans.  Considering the several types of beans, the average result of the surveyed areas was 28.34 % from December to January.

Besides beans, which had a reduced supply causing a strong hike, other products had pronounced increases:  tomatoes (from -18.80% in December 2007 to 20.91% in January), soybean oil (from 4.51% to 8.11%), fruits (from -0.92% to 4.97%), eggs (from -2.19% to 6.31%), fish (from 1.75% to 2.72%) and noodles (from -0.23% to 1.96%).

Meats (from 8.78% to 4.05%) and chicken (from 4.92% to 3.99%) continued influencing the index, but showed growing rates with less intensity from one month to the next one.  On the other hand, some food products had decrease in the price, as potatoes (from 11.77% to -12.89%) and pasteurized milk (from -2.35% to -1.59%).

Non-food products increased by 0.35% in January, below the rate of December (0.42%), due, mainly to alcohol fuel, with a considerably lower increase: from 11.45% to 2.55%. Gasoline was influenced by alcohol, changing from 1.06% to 0.60%. Apparel (from 0.76% to 0.53%) and cigarettes (from 3.60% to 1.62%) also had lower changes.

Urban buses increased 1.01%, as a consequence of the readjustment of 5.00% which occurred in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, in December 15, 2007.

Among the indexes by areas, the major index was registered in Belém (1.27%), where food products had hike of 2.83%, and rents of 1.50 %.  The lowest index was the one of Porto Alegre (0.25%).

In order to calculate IPCA-15, prices collected from December 11 to January 14 were compared to those registered between November 13 and December 10.  The indicator refers to families with income ranging from 1 to 40 minimum wages and covers the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Curitiba, besides Brasília and Goiânia.  The methodology used is the same of the IPCA, the difference lies in the period of price collection.