The Extended National Consumer Price Index -15 (IPCA-15) reached 0.78% in December, being 0.39 percentage points (p.p.) below the November rate (1.17%).

As a result, IPCA-15 closed 2021 at 10.42%, highest cumulative index in the year (in December) since 2015 (10.71%). In December 2020, the rate was 1.06%.

IPCA-E, which is cumulative IPCA-15 per quarter, stayed at 3.18% for the period October-December.

The process of change in IBGE’s datacenter, which started last Friday (17) is is still ongoing, has prevented the dissemination of the following information about IPCA-15/IPCA-E: cumulative index in the year/12 months for areas, share of subitems in regional results and text with analysis of monthly results by area. These data will be available as soon as IBGE’s Datacenter resumes activities.

Seven of the nine groups of products and services surveyed rose in December. Only Health and personal care (-0.73%) and Education (0.00%) recorded no rise in the month.

The main impact (0.50 p.p.) and the biggest change (2.31%) came, once more, from Transportation, , which closed the year with a cumulative change of 21.35%. It was followed by Housing (0,90%) and Food and beverages (0.35%), which accounted for 0.15 p.p. and 0.07 p.p., respectively. The other groups stood between 0.15% of Communication and 1.19% of Household articles.

The result of Transportation (2,31%) was mainly influenced by the rise in fuels (3,40%) maily gasoline (3,28%), which represented the main individual impact on the monthly index (0.21 p.p.). Besides that, ethanol (4.54%) and diesel (2.22%) prices also rose, though at a lower rate than in the previous month (7.08% and 8.23%, respectively).

Prices of new cars (2,11%) and used ones ones (1.28%) remianed on an upward trend, having accounted for an impact of about 0.09 percentage points on the IPCA-15 of December. Airfares (10.07%) also stood out, having risen again after a decrease of -6.34% in November.

To Housing (0.90%), the biggest contribution was that of electricity (0.96%), whose result was close to the one a month ago (0.93%). The “water scarcity” tariff flag has been in effect since September, adding R$14.2 to the electricity bill per 100 kWh consumed. Price adjustments in the electricity fare were also registered in Brasília (3.81%), adjustment of 11.69%, in effect since October 22; Porto Alegre(3.15%), with adjustment of 14.70% in one of the concessionaires, since November 22; Goiânia (2.63%), with adjustment of 16.37%, in effect since October 22; and São Paulo (0.27%), (0.27%), with 16.44% in one of the concessionaires, starting on October 23.

Also in Housing, the positive change of water and sewage (0,89%) é consequência dos reajustes de 9,86% no Rio de Janeiro(8.09%), in effect since November 8, and of 9.05% in Salvador (4.41%), in effect since November 29.

Bottled gas (2.58%) also rose, as a result of the adjustments of 6.90% in Rio de Janeiro (4.06%), in effect since November 1st and of 17.64% in São Paulo (2.28%), since December 10. Finally, it is worth mentioning the result of bottled gas (0.51%), whose prices rose for the 19th month in a row, with a cumulative increase of 38.07%.

The rise of 0.35% in Food and beverages limentação was mainly due to food at home (0.46%). The biggest individual contribution came from ground coffee (9.10%), which accelerated against November (4.91%). Also, the prices of fruits (4.10%) and meats (0.90%) rose in December, after recording decreases in the previous month (of -1.92% and -1.15%, respectively). Another highlight is the rise of onions (19.40%), which had risen 7.005 in November.

In terms of decreases, tomato (-11.23%), long-life milk (-3.75%) and rice (-2.46%) stand out.

Food away from home changed by 0.08%. On the one had, there was an increase of 1.62% in th subitem meals. On the other, a decrease, of 3.47% in the prices of snacks, which accounted for the second biggest negative impact (-0.06 p.p) on the IPCA-15 of December.

The only group recording falling prices in December was Health and Personal Care (-0.73%). personal hygiene (-3.34%) accounted for the negative result, mainly, perfume (-9.82%), skin-care products (-8.70%) and make up (-4.71%).

As for regional indexes, all the areas surveyed recorded increases in December. The biggest change was recorded in the metropolitan area of Salvador (1.13%), whereas the lowest result was that of the metropolitan area of Belém (0.32%).

In order to estimate the IPCA-15, prices collected from November 13 to December 13, 2021 (reference) were compared with those in force from October 14 to November 12, 2021 (base). The indicator refers to households with monthly income of 1 to 40 minimum wages and it encompasses the metropolitan areas of Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Curitiba, besides Brasília and the municipality of Goiânia. The methodology is the same as the one used for the IPCA; the difference lies in the period of price collection and in the geographic coverage.

Impacts of the IBGE Database change on the IPCA-15/IPCA-E dissemination

The IBGE Datacente has undergone a process of change since last Friday, and that has prevented the Institute from releasing the following results of IPCA-15/IPCA-E:

- • Cumulative index in the year/12 months for the locations;
- • Share of subitems in regional results;
- • Text with a monthly analysis by area.

The change into a new Datacenter was a necessary measure aiming at technical, functional, operating and strategic benefits for the IBGE. As soon as the update is finished, the Institute will see to the normalization of activities and provide missing information about the current indicator.