In April, the Extended National Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) changed by 0.71% and was 0.61 percentage points below the March rate (1.32%). It is the lowest monthly result in a year which has presented a cumulative index of 4.56% in the first four months; its is also the highest rate for the first four-month period of a year since 2003 (6.15%). In the same period a month before, the rate was 2.86%. The cumulative index in twelve months (8.17%) was a little higher than in the previous twelve months (8.13%). In April 2014, the rate was 0.67%.

Complete data on IPCA are available at https://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/precos/inpc_ipca/defaultinpc.sht.

IPCA showed that prices increased, on average, less than in March, mainly when electricity is considered. This item, of a great importance in the families' budgets, had a change of 1.31% in April, more modest than in comparison with the significant increase of 22.08% in the previous month, when a review of the bills in all regions surveyed was applied resulting in extra increases, apart from the annual increase, starting on March 02. Besides, there was the high of 83.33% on the value of the so-called tariff flag system in force.

The rate of 1.31% recorded in the month reflected the pressure exerted in the following areas, whereas the others had lower increases or even drops, due to the tax reduction.

With the increases occurred, the consumer is paying this year, on average, 38.12% more for the use of electricity, while in the last twelve months the bills are 59.93% more expansive. The following table presents the changes of electricity, in the year and in the last 12 months, by area surveyed.

Thus, the group Housing, to where electricity belongs, presents a change of 0.93%. In this group the highlights are the following items: Bottled gas (1.05%); Condominium fees (0.85%); Manpower for small repairs (0.73%); Residential rent (0.72%); Cleaning articles (0.64%); Water and sewerage (0.61%).

In water and sewerage, the result was influenced by the areas:

As the following table shows, among the groups of products and services surveyed, the expenditures with Health and Personal Care (1.32%) were the highest ones in April, whereas the lowest change was registered in Transportation (0.11%).

In April, it was medicines, in the group Health and Personal Care, which got the highest individual contribution. With 0.11 p.p., the prices of medicines went up 3.27%, due to the price increases of 5.00%, 6.35% or 7.70%, according to the level of concentration of the market, in force since March 31. The increases registered in medical and dental services (0.93%), optical products (0.91%) and health insurances (0.77%) also stood out.

Food and beverages, with 0.97%, came as second in the group Health. Led by tomatoes, whose prices went up 17.90%, several food products had significant rises in April. The main ones can be found below.

In contrast with the highs, the following products stood out in terms of price decrease:

In the group wearing apparel (0.91%), the high was pushed by menswear, whose prices increased 1.39%, followed by womenswear (0.93%) and footwear (0.89%). The item domestic worker, with 1.14%, was a highlight in the group of Personal Expenses (0.51%), whereas household appliances (0.79%) stood out in Household Articles (0.66%).

Transportation, with 0.11%, despite the 10.21% high in airfares, stood with the lowest result in the group mostly due to the drop of 0.91% registered for fuels, with cheaper gasoline and ethanol prices at 0.67% and 2.33%, respectively.

Among the indexes by area, the highest rate was in the Metropolitan Area of Curitiba (1.46%), where food products increased 2.34%, well above the national average (0.97%). Besides, medicines (7.87%) also pushed the index up. Salvador (0.50%) posted the lowest index. See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed.

In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from March 28 to April 29, 2015 (reference) were compared with those in force from February 28 to March 27, 2015 (base). IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of one to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses ten metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia, Campo Grande and Brasília.

INPC changes by 0.71% in April

The National Consumer Price Index - INPC recorded a change of 0.71% in April, below the figure of 1.51% of March by 0.80 p.p.. With that result, the cumulative indicator of the year was at 4.95%, quite above the rate of 2.90% relative to the same period of 2014. Considering the last twelve months, the index went to 8.34%, being below the 8.42% rate of the 12 previous months. In April of 2014, INPC was at 0.78%.

Food products recorded 0.96% in April, whereas in March the rate was of 1.21%. The group of non-food products had a change of 0.60% in April, well below the rate of 1.64% seen in March.

Among the indexes by area, the highest one was recorded in the Metropolitan Area of Curitiba (1.52%), where food products increased 2.36%, quite above the national average (0.96%). Besides, medicines (7.63%) also pushed up the result. The lowest indexes were recorded in Salvador and Campo Grande, both with 0.51%. See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed.

In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from March 28 to April 29, 2015 (reference) were compared with the prices in force from February 28 to March 27, 2015 (base). INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of 01 to 05 minimum wages, whatever the source. It encompasses ten metropolitan areas in the country, besides the municipalities of Goiânia, Campo Grande and Brasília.