In order to estimate IPCA-15, the prices collected from March 15 to April 13 of 2012 (reference) were compared with the ones in force from February 11 to March 14 of 2012 (base). 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 lies in the period of price collection.

The Extended National Consumer Price Index – 15 (IPCA-15) had a change of 0.43% in April, higher than the 0.25% rate in March. The accumulated in the year was 1.87%, far below the result of the same period in 2011 (3.14%). Considering the last 12 months, the index was 5.25%, also below the 12 previous months (5.61%). In April 2011, the rate was 0.77%. The complete information about IPCA-15 can be acessed at

https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/precos/ipca15/defaultipca15.shtm.

The groups of housing (from 0.44% in March to 0.75% in April) and personal expenses (from 0.60% to 1.43%) were the main responsible for the acceleration in the pace of the growth of IPCA-15 from March to April. Together, they accounted for 58% of the index in the month, with an impact of 0.25 percentage points for personal expenses and 0.11 for housing. 

In personal expenses, the highlights were cigarettes (from 0.00% to 5.56%), whose prices rose by 25% in average from April 6 on, and domestic personnel (from 1.38% to 1.87%), the greatest individual impact in the month (0.07 percentage points).  Hairdressing (from 0.23% to 1.86%) and manicure (from 0.23% to 1.29%) also influenced the result.  

As for housing, the highlight was housing rent (from 0.45% to 0.82%), condominium fees (from 0.48% to 1.01%), manpower for small repairs (from 1.03% to 1.31%), cleaning articles (from 0.46% to 0.95%) and water and sewage (from 0.19% to 1.60%). The increase in the water and sewage rates was due to the 11.17% readjustment in Brasília, in force since March 1, as well as the rise of 16.50% in Curitiba since March 21. 

The high rates in medicines (from 0.47% to 0.48%), however, occurred as a result of the readjustment started on March 31. Still in the group of health and personal care (from 0.54% to 0.62%), medical and dental services (from 0.79% to 1.30%) and laboratory and hospital services (from 0.36% to 0.81%) also had increases.

 Communication came from -0.49% to 0.24% because phone calls from landline telephones to mobile ones were revised down to the previous rates, cutting the reduction of 10.78%, granted by Anatel on February 24. That happened because of an injunction granted in March to one of the operators. 

Apparel articles were up again, from 0.16% to 0.49%, as well as food products, which came from 0.22% to 0.31% mainly due to the high prices of carioca beans (from 0.81% to 6.74%), fish (from 1.67% to 3.73%), eggs (from 1.88% to 3.36%), soybean oil (from 0.82% to 2.66%), meals out of the household (from 0.06% to 0.67%) and carton milk (from -0.15% to 0.45%).  Concerning falling rates, the highlight was meats (from -1.57% to -1.59%), posting the sharpest downfall: -0.04 percentage points. 

The change rate in the prices of non-food products rose from 0.26% to 0.47%. The results of all the groups of products and services surveyed are shown in the following table:

 Among the regional indexes, the highest was registered in Rio de Janeiro (0.65%) due to the item domestic personnel (7.37%).  The lowest was recorded in Salvador (0.09%) under the influence of food products consumed in the household (-0.16%). The following table shows the results by area: