The National Index of Civil Construction (Sinapi), calculated by IBGE in partnership with Caixa Econômica Federal (CAIXA), recorded a variation of 0.54% in December, what meant an increase of 0.21 percentage point in relation to November (0.33%). In the comparison with the same month of 2008 (0.62%), the rate of December presented a decrease of 0.08 percentage point. With this result, the index closed 2009 with a rise of 5.85%, much below the index of 2008, when the accumulated had been 11.73%.

The national cost of construction by square meter, which in November was R$ 712,50, reached R$ 716,34 in December. Of this total, R$ 412,64 are relative to material, and R$ 303,70 to labor.

The result of material, in comparison with the previous month, recorded an increase of just 0.03 percentage point, changing from 0.41% to 0.44%. The component labor, pressed by salary readjustments in Minas Gerais, was 0.67% (a rise of 0.45 percentage point in comparison with the 0.22% recorded in November).

The final results of 2009 presented a variation of 4.29% for material, with a decrease of 9.49 percentage points in relation to the 13.78% recorded in 2008. The result of labor increased by 8.03%, being 0.94 percentage point below that observed in the previous year (8.97%).

The Southeast stands out in December and closes 2009 with the highest cost

In December, the Southeast stood out for having presented the largest rise in cost (0.89%), being the only region above national average (0.54%). North and South presented the same variations (0.22%), and the Northeast, a very similar one (0.27%). At last, the Central-West recorded a rise of 0.42%.

The accumulated indexes in 2009, by region, are: 6.05% (Northeast), 6.02% (North), 5.87% (Southeast), 5.86% (Central-West), and 5.31% (South). As to construction costs, the figures by square meter in each region are the following: R$ 758.86 (Southeast), R$ 715.55 (North), R$ 702.51 (South), R$ 684.68 (Central-West), and R$ 671.24 (Northeast). The Southeast, besides presenting the biggest rise of December, closed the year with the highest regional cost.

The results show strong deceleration of 2009 indexes compared to those of 2008, the national average being 5.88 percentage points. Among the regions, the greatest decrease in the accumulated rate occurred in the North (7.31 percentage points).

In December, Minas Gerais recorded the biggest rise among the states

Minas Gerais, due to salary readjustments, had the biggest monthly rise (3.13%). Sergipe had the lowest rate (0.05%), closely followed by Bahia (0.09%).

In the accumulated of the year, the highlight was Acre (9.64%); Amapá and Piauí had the smallest variations (respectively, 2.76% and 3.75%). These two states did not have salary readjustments during 2009, because collective agreements were not ratified.

These results are calculated monthly by IBGE, in partnership with Caixa Econômica Federal (CAIXA), based on the National System of Costs Survey and Indexes of Construction (Sinapi).

Sinapi, created in 1969, is aimed at producing cost information and indexes for national coverage on a systematic way, in order to help in the elaboration and evaluation of budgets, as well as in the monitoring of costs. In 2002, the National Congress approved, through the Budgetary Directives Law (LDO), the use of Sinapi as the reference for calculating costs in public construction.

DECEMBER 2009

SOURCE: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Índices de Preços.