The Extended Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) changed 0.56% in December, 0.10 percentage points above the rate of November (0.46%).

As a result, IPCA-E, which is the accumulated IPCA-15, closed the year at 6.56%, above the rate of the same period of 2010 (5.79%). In December of 2010, the rate was 0.69%.

The complete publication of IPCA-15 can be accessed at

www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/precos/inpc_ipca/defaultinpc.shtm

The complete publication of IPCA-E can be accessed at

www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/precos/ipcae/default.shtm

The IPCA-15 (0.56%) of December accelerated in relation to the 0.46% of November, driven by the high of Food and Beverages, which changed from 0.77% to 1.28%, and exerted an impact of 0.30 p.p. on the monthly index, accounting for 54% of the rate.

The significant increase in the rate of growth of the prices of food was mainly attributable to meat, which was 4.36% more expensive in December, after a growth of 1.30% in November. It was the main impact in the month, with 0.11 p.p.

Meals taken out of the house was the second main impact, with 0.05 p.p.

The prices of meals rose even more in December, to 1.13% against the 0.75% of November. Snacks (from 0.30% to 1.57%) and breakfast (from 0.15% to 2.11%) taken out of the house also went up. Beer (from 1.98% in November to 3.27% in December), carioca beans (from –1.24% to 2.51%), whole chicken (from 0.91% to 2.11%), ground coffee (from 3.13% to 2.20%), soft drinks (from 0.89% to 1.70%) and French rolls (from –0.06% to 0.89%) stood out in the group of Food and Beverages.

The Housing group also accelerated in December, changing from 0.40% to 0.54%.

The pressures came from condominium fees (from 0.18% to 0.74%), electric energy (from 0.49% to 0.65%) and cleaning articles (from -0.06% to 0.67%). As for the electric energy, there was an increase of 7.98%, in force since November 7, in the fees of one of the supply companies of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. There was another rise of 7.60% on October 25 in one supply company in Porto Alegre. Among the expenditures with Housing, other items registered highs, though with less dramatic changes, such as renting of residential properties (from 0.81% to 0.71%). 

Apparel articles also recorded highs, changing from 0.87% in November to 1.10% in December. Female wearing apparel rose 1.56% against the rate of 0.28% in November. In the other groups, the results were below or next to the ones registered in November, leading to the rate of 0.34% for the non-food products, slightly below the 0.37% of November. The following table shows the results.

Transportation changed from –0.02% in November to –0.08%, mainly driven by air fare (from 4.00% to –2.06%), voluntary insurance (from –0.56% to –6.73%), new (from –0.35% to –0.37%) and used automobiles (from –1.34% to –1.70%).

Conversely, fuels (from –0.28% to 0.66%) continued growing. The price of the liter of ethanol was 1.45% more expensive, while gasoline rose 0.61%. The high was mainly driven by the metropolitan region of Salvador, where the prices of ethanol increased by 4.95% and the prices of gasoline reached 8.99%.

Among the regional indices, Salvador (1.12%) saw the highest result, where food (2.29%), gasoline (8.99%) and ethanol (4.95%) registered the highest changes among the regions surveyed.

On the other hand, Curitiba (0.22%) registered the lowest result, mainly due to the rate of food (0.60%), which grew less than in the other regions. Gasoline (-0.32%) and ethanol (0.36%), as the lowest rates, were also responsible for that performance. The following table shows the results by region:

Considering IPCA-15 in the year, Brasília recorded the highest result (7.02%). The highlights were air fare (44.83%) and renting of residential property (12.44%).

The lowest index was recorded by Belém (4.33%), where food (4.75%) registered the lowest rate among the regions surveyed.

Food products and Beverages closed with a high of 6.99%, helping to restrain the index of 2011 in relation to the previous year, despite its relevant influence in December.

All the groups of products and services surveyed saw price changes higher than in 2010, except for Household Articles (1.05%). The following table shows those results.

It is relevant to say, however, that important food items in family expenditure closed the year with prices quite below those of December of last year.

This is the case of carioca beans, which was 17.10% less expensive; black beans, which dropped 12.97%; potato, with a drop of 11.79% and garlic, with a low of 32.91% in the year. 

Non-food products

, on the other hand, changed 6.42% in 2011, above the 4.52% of 2010. Schools, with a high of 8.09%, represented the second higher impact of the year, in conjunction with domestic personnel, which rose 11.37%. Each one increased by 0.40 p.p. 

In order to estimate IPCA-15, prices were collected from November 15 to December 13 and compared with those in force from October 14 to November 14.

The indicator refers to families with monthly income of one to forty minimum wages and it encompasses the metropolitan regions of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Curitiba, and also Brasília and Goiânia. The methodology is the same as the one used for IPCA; the difference is in the period of price collection. IPCA-E corresponds to IPCA-15 accumulated in periods.