The Extended Consumer Price Index (IPCA) changed 0.37% in May, 0.18 percentage points below the rate of 0.55% registered in April. This is the lowest IPCA since June 2012 (0.08%). As a result, the cumulative indicator in the year stayed at 2.88%, above the rate of the same period in 2012 (2.24%). Considering the last 12 months, the index was at 6.50%, very close to the 6.49% relative to the 12 months to April. In May of 2012, the rate was at 0.36%.

The complete publication of the survey can be accessed at 

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

See below the results by group of products and services surveyed: 

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to five minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia and Brasília.  In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from April 27 to May 28 (reference) were compared with the ones in effect from March 29 to April 26 (base).

On the other hand, the price of some food products also rose in May.  These are:

As in April, the group medicines accounted for the main impact on IPCA in May, representing, alone, 0.06 percentage points. The rate of 1.61%, below that of April (2.99%), led to a cumulative index of 4.80%, added to the effect of the readjustment granted on March 31, when there was change from 2.70% to 6.31%.  Even so, although the group Health and Personal Care fell from 1.28% in April to 0.94% in May, it still accounted for the biggest change.

Besides expenses on health care, other five of the nine groups of products and services surveyed recorded lower rates in May than in April. The most relevant result was that of Food Products, which recorded strong deceleration and changed from 0.96% in April to 0.31% in May, and reduced its impact from 0.24 to 0.08 percentage points, respectively. Several products became cheaper from one month to the other. One example is tomatoes, the price of which fell by 10.31%, causing this item to be the main negative impact, (-0.04 percentage points).  Other highlights can be seen in the table below: 

In Transportation, which changed from -0.19% in April to -0.25% in May, the most relevant item was ethanol, the liter of which became 1.97% cheaper, after having risen 0.16% in April. The same happened to gasoline, which remained on a downward trend, with -0.52%, after having recorded -0.41% in April.  The prices of new cars (from -0.12% to -0.16%) and airfares (from -9.12% to -3.43%) are other highlights.

In the group Personal Expenses, whose change also fell from 0.61% to 0.41% from April to May, the highlight was the item domestic worker, which changed from 1.25% to 0.76%. Manicurist (from 1.15% to 0.38%) and hairdresser (from 0.43% to -0.10%) were other services accounting for fall in this group.

Besides these items, Household articles (from 0.63% in April to 0.46% in May) and Education (from 0.10% to 0.06%) also affected the deceleration of IPCA this month.

The groups Housing (from 0.62% in April to 0.75% in May), Apparel (from 0.65% to 0.84%) and Communication (from -0.32% to 0.08%) recorded growing changes of prices from one month to the other.  Housing had water and sewage fares as its main highlight, with rise of 1.19% in May versus 0.81% in the previous month, considering the changes recorded in Goiânia (5.29%), resulting from the readjustment of 6.02% on May 01; in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte (2.32%), reflecting part of the readjustment of 5.25% effected on May 13; and in the metropolitan areas of São Paulo (1.96%), where the readjustment in effect since April 22 is 2.38%.

Considering regional indexes, Recife was the highlight (0.74%), with the increase of 1.28% in food products affecting the monthly rate. The lowest result was that of Belém (-0.16%), and food products recorded decrease of 0.79%.

See below the table of results by area surveyed:

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of one to forty minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses nine metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia and Brasília.  In order to measure the index of the month the prices collected from April 27 to May 28 (reference) were compared with the ones in effect from March 29 to April 26  (base).

INPC changed by 0.35% in May

The National Consumer Price Index – INPC recorded change of 0.35% in May, being above the result of 0.59% of April by 0.24 percentage points.  As a consequence, the change in the year was 3.02%, above the rate of 2.29% relative to the same period of 2012. Considering the last twelve months, the index was 6.95%, lower than that of the immediately previous twelve months (7.16%).  In May 2012, INPC had been 0.55%.

Food products recorded change of 0.27 in May, whereas non-food products rose 0.38%.  In April, the results were 0.97% and 0.43%, respectively.

Considering regional indexes, Recife was the highlight (0.69%), with the increase of 1.17% in food products affecting the monthly rate.   The lowest result was that of Belém (-0.14%), and food products recorded decrease of 0.66%.