The Extended National Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) changed 0.75% in December and stayed 0.18 percentage points above the rate of November (0.57%). As a result, IPCA-E, which is the cumulative IPCA-15, stayed at 1.81% in the last quarter and closed the year at 5.85%, above the rate of 2012 (5.78%). In December of 2012, the rate was 0.69%.

The complete publication is available at

www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/precos/ipca15/defaultipca15.shtm.

The results of all groups of products and services surveyed are shown in the following table:

In December, the greatest individual impact was exerted by airfares, whose 20.15% rise generated an impact of 0.11 percentage points. Gasoline comes next, with prices 2.15% more expensive and impact of 0.08 percentage points. Together, with 0.19 p.p., airfares and gasoline dominated the index of the month, accounting for a quarter of it. As a result, the group Transportation went to 1.17%, after a result of 0.39% in November. In December, there was still pressure from ethanol, with a rise of 2.42%, and from car repair, increasing 1.06%. Even with a sharp speed up from November to December Transportation closed the year with 2.65%, the second lowest position in the results by groups - only above Communication, which registered an annual change of 1.63%, despite the fact that services of Internet Telephony were up 4.39% from November to December.

The monthly index was also influenced by the item domestic worker, whose change was 0.86% and, together with other items on the rise, such as excursion (9.39%), cigarettes (2,47%), manicurist (1.28%) and hairdresser (1.22%) led Personal Expenses to the highest result in the group, with 1.18% against 0.68% registered in November. Considering the year 2013, Personal Expenses also got the highest result, reaching a high of 9.19%.

In the expenses with Housing, which rose from 0.50% in November to 0.59% in December, the highlights were the items rent (0.75%), electricity (0.63%), condominium fees (0.60%), bottled gas (0.57%) and water and sewage fees (0.42%). Thus, the year closed with the group at 3.28% - below the general index, although rent, which increased 12.01%, stood out for having exerted the major impact of the year, 0.45 percentage points. That occurred because, in opposition, electricity, whose bills were 15.74% cheaper, became the strongest down impact, with -0.53 percentage points.

From November to December, besides the groups aforementioned, Health and Personal Care sped up, from 0.39% to 0.46%, staying at 7.08% in the year.

Meanwhile, Household Articles got similar rates, with 0.55% in November and 0.57% in December, closing at 6.24%, whereas the other three groups shrank in relation to the previous month. They were: Wearing apparel (from 0.96% to 0.78%), Food and beverage (from 0.84% to 0.59%) and Education (from 0.09% to zero), closing the year, respectively, at 5.36%, 8.50% and 7.90%.

As to food products, some were cheaper from November to December; it is the case of Pinto beans (-8.83%), soybean oil (-1.42%) and long-life milk (-2.84%), this being the greatest impact down, with -0.03 percentage points. Considering the year, soybean oil (-18.11%) and Pinto beans (-12.07%) were down too, including products such as refined sugar (-14.60%) and rice (-5.40%). Other items are up: long-life milk (21.69%), French bread (15.04%), snacks (12.69%) and meals away from home (9.19%).

Among the regional indexes, the greatest one was registered in Fortaleza (1.01%), where  food  prices rose 1.04%, quite above the 0.59% average (comprising all the regions surveyed). Conversely, the lowest occurred in Goiânia (0.64%), where food products (0.19%) stayed below the national average.

In order to estimate IPCA-15, the prices collected from November 12 to December 12 of 2012 (reference) were compared with the prices in force from October 12 to November 11 (base). The indicator refers to families with monthly income of one to forty minimum wages and it encompasses the Metropolitan Areas 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.