The National Extended Consumer Price Index 15 (IPCA-15) changed by 0.33% in July, superior to the rate of 0.18% of June. As a result, the accumulated indicator in the year stayed at 2.91%, below the rate of the same period of 2011 (4.20%). Considering the last 12 months, the IPCA-15 was at 5.24%, above the immediately previous 12 months (5.00%). In July of 2011, the rate was at 0.10%.

The complete publication of IPCA-15 can be accessed at

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

Food and beverages and personal expenses were the groups that presented the highest rates in the month. Food products kept rising, from 0.66% in June to 0.88% in July. With an impact of 0.20 percentage points, they are responsible for 61% of the index, the greatest part. The adverse weather conditions harmed the harvest of several products, mainly tomatoes, whose prices had already increased 19.48% in June and rose even more: 29.30% in July. Because of climate conditions, other food products had significant rises, like carrots (from -1.11% to 13.63%) and potatoes (from 6.70% to 11.78%). Another highlight is French rolls, which recorded a change of 1.67% in July against 0.14% in June. The rise is attributable to increases in the input costs, mainly wheat.

In the group of the personal expenses, the result was 0.92% in July, the greatest rise in the group in the month, whereas in June 2011 the rate had been at 0.23%. The highlight was the item “domestic worker”, recording a change of 1.37% against 0.60% in the previous month. Domestic worker and tomatoes became the highest individual impacts in the July IPCA-15, with 0.05 percentage points each. Thus, the non-food products, which had presented a change of 0.04% in June,  reached 0.16% in July.  The results of all groups of products and services surveyed are shown in the following table:

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It is possible to notice that, of the nine groups of products and services surveyed, three posted a lower growth pace for prices from one month to the other:  housing (from 0.53% in June to 0.41% in July), apparel (from 0.66% to 0.39%) and health and personal care (from 0.43% to 0.37%).

In the remaining groups, the result was higher when compared to the previous month. Even in transportation, which, despite the decrease of -0.59%, posted a less intense drop than the 0.77% recorded in June. That is due to the price of the new automobiles, which declined 3.50% in June under the influence of IPI’s reduction, recording a change of -2.47% in July. As to the used automobiles, they had similar rates (-2.62% in June and -2.45% in July).

Concerning the regional indexes, the highest one was recorded by Porto Alegre (0.63%), where the rise of the group food products and beverages reached 1.66%. The items domestic worker (1.86%), residential renting (1.09%) and water and sewage fees (1.15%), which had an increase of 5.32% on July the first, also exerted influence on the indexes. The lowest index was registered by Fortaleza (0.09%), influenced by electricity (-5.81%), reflecting the reduction in the values of PIS/COFINS/PASEP. The table with the results by region is as it follows:

In order to estimate IPCA-15, the prices collected from June 14 to July 13 of 2012 (reference) were compared with the ones in force from May 15 to June 13 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.