The Extended National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) in February changed 0.32%, surpassing by 0.03 percentage points (p.p.) January's result (0.29%).
This was the lowest IPCA for the months of February since the year 2000, when it stood at 0.13%. The cumulative index for the first two months of the year is 0.61%, the lowest percentage for the period since the implementation of the Plano Real in 1994. In 2017, the cumulative index for the first two months was 0.71%. The cumulative index in the last twelve months was 2.84% and it was the lowest for a February since 1999 (2.24%).
In February 2017, the IPCA had been 0.33%.

In February, the group Education, with a high of 3.89% and impact of 0.19 p.p., prevailed in the IPCA, accounting for 59% of it. Conversely, the group Food and Beverages presented decrease of 0.33%, contributing to contain the index, with its impact of -0.08 p.p. The results of the groups of products and services surveyed are in the table below.

The high of 3.89% in the group Education reflects the increases usually applied at the beginning of the school year, especially the increases of the regular courses' fees, whose values advances 5,23%,, generating the highest individual impact on the monthly index (0.16 p.p.). Regionally, regular courses had increases ranging from the 4.40% in São Paulo to the 8.02% in Goiânia.

Differently from the previous years, the changes of the regular courses in Fortaleza were accounted for in February. Before that, due to a difference in the period or price increase, the changes of that area were counted in March's index. See below the table with the Education results by area surveyed.

The group Transportation presented change of 0.74%, contributing with 0.13 p.p. of impact in the index of February. The highlights in the group were the items urban bus (1.90%) an gasoline (0.85%). The latter, by area, ranged from -3.70% in Fortaleza to 8.55% in Salvador.  As to urban buses, the highlight is the increase of 6.38% in Goiânia. In Transportation, it is worth mentioning the 1.73% change in the item taxi cab, a reflex of the increase of 7.39% in Rio de Janeiro (5.94%), in effect since January 24.

On the other hand, the group Food and Beverage, with a -0.33% change, contributes to contain the IPCA rate from January to February. Considering food at home, with the exception of Belém (0.29%), the areas surveyed showed falling prices, from -0.16% in Porto Alegre to -1.29% in Campo Grande, as shown in the following table.

There were several products i the Brazilian tables becoming cheaper from one month to the other, as for example meat (-1.09%) and fruit (-1.13%). The main decreases are as follows:

As to the other groups, they are found between the -0.38% relative to Wearing Apparel and 0.38% to Health and Personal Care.

In the perspective of the indexes by area, the highest one was in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro (0.72%), with a highlight to urban bus, with a high of 4.71% and regular courses, which increased 5.89%. See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed.

IPCA has been calculated by IBGE since 1980. It refers to families with monthly income of 01 to 40 minimum wages, whatever the source, and it encompasses ten Metropolitan Areas in the country, besides Brasília and the municipalities of Goiânia and Campo Grande. In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from January 30 to March 01 of 2018 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 29 of 2017 to January 29 of 2018 (base).

In February, INPC changed 0.18%

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) posted a change of 0,18% in February and stood 0.05 p.p. below January's rate (0.23%).  This was the lowest IPCA for a February since 2000, when it was 0.05%. Considering the last 12 months, the index fell to 1.81%, below the 1.87% recorded over the 12 months prior to that period. This cumulative index was the lowest for the period since the implementation of the Plano Real. In February 2017, the INPC recorded 0.24%.

Food products had a decrease of 0.36% in February while in the previous month it recorded a high of 0.76%. The group of non-food products stood with a 0.41% change whereas, in January, it presented stability.

Among the indexes by area, the highest one was in the Metropolitan Area of Rio de Janeiro (0.65%), where the highlight were the items urban bus (4.71%), food away (2.25%) and regular courses (5.99%). The lowest item was in Goiânia (-0.03%), a reflex of the 5.09% decrease in electricity. See below the table of monthly results by area surveyed.

In order to estimate the index of the month, the prices collected from January 30 to March 01 of 2018 (reference) were compared with those in force from December 29 of 2017 to January 29 of 2018 (base).

INPC has been calculated by IBGE since 1979. It refers to families with monthly income of one to five minimum wages, with a salaried head of the family, and it encompasses ten Metropolitan Areas in the country, besides Brasília and the municipalities of Goiânia and Campo Grande.