The National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of June changed by 0.74%, less than in May (0.79%).

The National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) of June changed by 0.74%, less than in May (0.79%). With this result, IPCA was 3.64% in the first semester of the year, whereas in the same period of 2007, it was 2.08%. The index relative to the last 12 months is 6.06%, also above the rate of the 12 immediately previous months (5.58%). In June 2007, IPCA was 0.28%.

Last month, once again, food products were the leader in terms of contribution to the index, with 0.47 percentage points, and, accounting for 63% of the result of the IPCA of June. The rise of 2.11% in the group food products and beverages was even higher than in May (1.95%). The rise of prices remains affecting items in general, and only soybeans oil (-2.76%) and fruits (-1.96%) are worth mentioning due to their falling rates.

Rice and beans became significantly more expensive from May to June. The consumer is now paying 9.90% more for the kilogram of rice, which rose 38.21% in the year 2008, and 7.54% more for the kilogram of black beans. The price of “carioca” beans has risen by 15.55%. Considering individual items, meats had the major contribution: 0.14 percentage points (change of 6.91%).

The rise of food products reached all the areas included in IPCA. With the June hike, this group has already accumulated 8.64% in 2008, a figure significantly higher than that in the same period last year (3.93%). Non-food products rose by 2.26%, versus 1.60% in the first quarter of 2007.

Among the main changes in non-food products in June, the main highlights were piped gas (8.76%), vehicle gas (8.31%), airplane tickets (3.70%), personal hygiene articles (1.29%), cleaning articles (1.33%) and salaries of domestic workers (1.04%).

As for fuels, there were not changes from May to June, once the hike of vehicle gas (8.31%) and diesel (1.53%) made up for the fall of the prices of alcohol (-1.94%) and gasoline (-0.08%).

In relation to the areas surveyed, Porto Alegre (0.90%) had the highest increase in the IPCA of June. Also relevant were the results of Salvador (0.86%), São Paulo (0.82%) and Recife (0.81%). The lowest figure was that of the metropolitan area of Belém (0.41%), where food products (0.86%) had less significant rises.

Food products account for the biggest impact on the indexes of the first semester and accumulated in 12 months

With accumulated change of 8.64%, food products accounted for the biggest impact on the IPCA of the first semester of 2008, representing 1.88 percentage points of the index of 3.64%. The second biggest contribution to the index accumulated in the year was that of health and personal care which, with rise of 3.47%, accounted for 0.37 percentage points.

The main individual contribution to IPCA in the first semester was meals taken out of the household, with 0.30 percentage points (accumulated change of 7.94%).

On the other hand, TV, sound and computer equipment (-5.83%); alcohol (-3.21%); and gasoline (-1.21%) were the main negative indexes in the first semester.

The group food products and beverages also accounted for the main contribution to the IPCA accumulated in 12 months, ending in June 2008: with change of 15.7%, it accounted for 3.43 percentage points, over half of the overall index (6.06%).

The IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980.  It refers to families with monetary income, from any source, ranging from 1 to 40 minimum wages, and includes nine metropolitan areas of the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.  To calculate the index of this month, prices collected between May 31 and June 30 (reference period) were compared to those in effect between April 30 and May 30 (base period). 

INPC was 0.91% in June

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) changed by 0.91% in June, being also below the May result (0.96%). The index accumulated in the year was 4.26%, significantly higher than the 2.20% of the first semester last year. In the last 12 months, the result was 7.28%, also above the rate of 6.64% of the immediately pervious 12 months. In June 2007, the INPC was 0.31%.

Food products changed by 2.38% in June, whereas non-food products rose 0.28%. In May, the results were 2.19% and 0.44%, respectively.

Salvador had the highest increase, due to the readjustment in water and sewage rates (1.63%). São Paulo (1.09%) and Porto Alegre (1.06%) had similar results. The lowest index was that of Belém (0.39%), also due to the lower rise of food products (0.66%).

The INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979 and it refers to families headed by a salaried worker with monetary income ranging from one to six minimum wages.  It includes nine metropolitan areas, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília.  To calculate the index of the month, prices collected from October 27 to November 26 (reference period) were compared to prices charged from September 28 to October 26 (base period).