The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) closed September at 0.45%, much above the rate of August (0.04%). With this result, the accumulated in the year is 3.60%, above the 3.21% relative to the same period of 2009. Considering the last 12 months, IPCA changed to 4.70%, above the accumulated in the immediately previous 12 months (4.49%). In September 2009, the index had been 0.24%.

After three months of declining prices (June: -0.90%, July: -0.76%; and August: -0.24%), in September the group food products and beverages presented a 1.08% rise and contributed with 0.24 percentage point, more than half of IPCA of the month.

The item meats, with a 5.09% variation, made the greatest individual contribution of the month: 0.11 percentage point. Other products with increased price in the month are, for example, crystallized sugar (5.66%), soy oil (5.47%), fruits (3.98%), wheat flour (3.61%) and chicken (3.11%).

However, some food products presented declined prices from August to September. Among them, onions (-24.55%), potatoes (-9.92%) and tomatoes (-4.53%) stood out.

Among non-food products there was also increase in prices, from 0.12% in August to 0.27% in September. Only one of the nine groups of products and services, education (0.44% in August and 0.08% in September), did not present an increased index from one month to the other, as shown in the table.

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to six minimum wages, with a salaried householder. It encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. For the calculation of the month, prices collected from August 28 to September 28, 2010 (reference), were compared to those in effect from July 29 to August 27, 2010 (base).

Residential rents changed from a 0.35% increase in August to 0.61% in September; water and sewerage fees, from 0.23% to 0.70%, due to the 4.15% readjustment in São Paulo, of September 11, reflecting 2.33% in the month index. With this result, the group housing changed from 0.23% in August to 0.40% in September.

Plane tickets had a rise of 7.58% in September, when they had decreased 10.32% in August. On the other hand, after a rise of 4.12% in August, the liter of ethanol became 0.86% more expensive in September. This influenced the price of gasoline, which changed from a variation of 0.75% to -0.14%. Automobile prices continued declining, both new (from -0.60% to -0.26%) and old ones (from -0.03% to -0.46%). Thus, the group transportation changed from a variation of -0.09% in August to 0.13% in September.

Personal expenses also increased from August to September, from 0.20% to 0.34%, with the highlight being domestic workers (from 0.03% to 0.55%). Items furniture (from 0.62% in August to 0.97% in September) and household appliances (from -1.80% to 0.37%) were responsible for the rise of household articles (from -0.31% to 0.46%).

Among the surveyed areas, Brasília (0.80%) had the highest result in the month, due to the rise of 4.75% in electricity (reflecting the readjustment of 6.35%, made on August 26) and to the increase of 1.79% in food products. The lowest index (0.19% in each metropolitan area) was recorded in Porto Alegre, due to the lower rate of food products (0.35%), and Salvador, where the decreased prices of fuels (-4.84%) and electricity (-0.97%) were the main influences. The following table shows monthly results by surveyed area.

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of one to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, and encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipality of Goiânia and Brasília. For the calculation of the index in the month, prices collected from August 28 to September 28, 2010 (reference), were compared to those in effect from July 29 to August 27, 2010 (base).

INPC was 0.54% in September

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) closed September at 0.54%, much above the -0.07% rate of the previous month. With this result, the accumulated in 2010 was 3.80%, above the 3.23% rate relative to the same period of 2009. Considering the last 12 months, the index was 4.68%, below the 4.29% relative to the immediately previous 12 months. In September 2009, INPC had been 0.16%.

Food products changed from -0.48% in August to 1.20% in September, whereas non-food products changed from 0.10% to 0.26%.

Among regional indexes, the highest belonged to Brasília (1.04%), where food products increased 2.31%, and electricity was 4.95% more expensive. The lowest index was that of Porto Alegre (0.23%), due to, principally, results of food products (0.47%), according to the following table.