The Extended National Consumer Price Index -15 (IPCA-15) increased by 0.23% in March, recording a rate 0.41 percentage points below the index of February (0.64%), which means a result 74% lower than in that month.  The strong reduction of the increase of prices from one month to the next one was a consequence of the indexes of the groups education (0.16%) and food products and beverages (0.40%), which increased less.  With the result of the IPCA-15 of March, the Special Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA-E, index accumulated of the IPCA-15 every three months) was 1.58% in the first quarter of 2008 (index accumulated in the year).

In February, due to the typical readjustments in the beginning of the school year, the hike of education reached 3.61%, the most significant of the month.  In March, the rate was 0.16%.

Regarding food products, also responsible for a considerable part of the IPCA-15 of February, the rate changed from 1.13% in that month to 0.40% in March.  Beans, which were contributing for the hike of the group, decreased by 1.31 % in March, while in February they had increased 10.46%. The kilo of carioca beans turned 4.57 % cheaper in March, while its prices had increased 8.22% in February.  Meats fell even more from one month to the next: from -0.99% in February to -1.08% in March.  The same occurred with chicken: from -0.42% to -1.34%. In terms of decrease, the main highlight came from potatoes, with prices 12.50% cheaper.

The group non-food products changed 0.18% in March, also below the rate of February (0.50%), due to the lower result of the group education.

Among the indexes by areas, the highest index was recorded in Belém (0.50%), due mainly to the group food products and beverages, which was 1.21% more expensive.  On the other hand, the municipality of Goiânia had deflation of 0.23%, as a consequence of the decrease of 1.18% in food products.

To calculate IPCA-15, prices collected from February 15 to March 14 were compared to those collected from January 15 to February 14.  The indicator refers to families with income from 1 to 40 minimum wages and covers the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Aegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador and Curitiba, besides Brasília and the municipality of Goiânia.  The methodology used is the same one of the IPCA; the difference lies only in the period of price collection.