In the seasonally-adjusted series, volume of services in Brazil changed 0.4% in November 2023 over October. The positive figure interrupted a sequence of three negative rates (August, September and October), a period in which it accumulated a loss of 2.2%. As a result, the sector was 10.8% above the level of February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and 2.6% below that in December 2022 (peak of the time series).

In the seasonally-unadjusted series, volume of services registered the third consecutive negative rate over November 2022 (-0.3%). The cumulative index last year hit 2.7% against the same period in 2022. Having changed from 3.6% in October to 3.0% in November 2023, the cumulative index in 12 months lost dynamism in its less intense result since July 2021 (2.9%).

The increase in volume of services (0.4%) in November 2023 was followed by three out of five dissemination activities: other services (3.6%), professional, administrative and complementary services (1.0%) and services rendered to families (2.2%), the first activity accumulating a gain of 4.9% between September and November, the second one advancing 2.1% in the October-November period and the last one recovering the losses in October (-1.8%). 

Conversely, the only retractions this month were in transportation (-1.0%) and information and communication services (-0.1%), the former activity registering the fourth consecutive setback, with a cumulative loss of 5.3%, and the latter activity slightly decreasing (-0.1%), after recording a slight positive change in October (0.2%). 

Also in the seasonally-adjusted series, the quarterly moving average index was -0.1% in the quarter ended November 2023 against the level in the previous month.  Among the sectors, still in the seasonally-adjusted series, two out of five activities retreated over the level of the quarter ended in October: transportation (-1.1%) and information and communication (-0.2%). On the other hand, other services (1.6%), services rendered to families (1.0%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (0.4%) advanced in November. 

Compared with November 2022, volume in the services sector changed -0,3% in November 2023, thus recording the third setback in a row. The negative change this month was followed by only two out of five dissemination activities and it also counted with the growth of 48.2% of the 166 types of services investigated. 

Among the sectors, transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (-3.7%) exerted the major negative impact, mainly pressed by the drop in the revenue in management of ports and terminals, mass road transportation, air transportation, shipping agency activities, operation of airports and storage. 

Another retreat came from the sector of information and communication (-0.4%), explained, to a great extent, by the lower revenue coming from telecommunications, open TV activities, technical support, maintenance and other services in information technology, consulting in information technology and satellite TV operators.  

In contrast, professional, administrative and complementary services (4.4%), services rendered to families (5.4%) and other services (3.3%) exerted the positive contributions to the total volume of services, leveraged, to a great extent, by the increase in the revenue of companies that work with legal activities, activities of business intermediation in general, car rental, consulting in corporate management, management of intangible assets, administration of discount cards and loyalty programs, and billing and cadastral information in the first sector; catering services, restaurants, theater and musical shows, and hotels in the second one; real estate activities, support activities to financial services, insurance, complementary and health social security, and collection of non-dangerous residues of domestic, urban or industrial origin in the last sector. 

As for the cumulative index between January and November 2023, against the same period a year ago, the services sector expanded 2.7%, with positive rates in four out of five dissemination activities and an increase in 56.6% of the 166 types of services investigated.  

Among the sectors, the most important positive contribution came from the sector of professional, administrative and complementary services (4.1%), leveraged, to a great extent, by the increase in the revenue of companies that work in the segments of car rental, engineering services, billing and cadastral information, activities of business intermediation in general, and travel agencies. 

The other advances came from transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (2.2%), information and communication (3.3%) and services rendered to families (4.4%), mainly explained by the increase in the revenue of companies of road transportation of cargo, maritime and port support navigation, inland transportation of cargo, air transportation of passengers, mass road transportation and pipeline transportation in the first sector; of telecommunications, software development and licensing, development of computer programs on-demand, data handling, providers of application services and hosting services on the Internet, and consulting in information technology in the second one; and of catering services, hotels, restaurants and fitness activities in the last sector. 

On the other hand,  other services (-0.8%) exerted the only negative influence on the cumulative index in the year, especially pressed by the lower revenue coming from auxiliary financial services, securities brokerages and management of stock exchange and organized over-the-count markets. 

Services advance in 12 out of 27 Federation Units in November

Twelve out of 27 Federation Units expanded their volume of services in November 2023 over the immediately previous month, following the increase in the result for Brazil (0.4%). Among the places with positive rates, the most important impact came from São Paulo (1.1%), followed by Paraná (2,4%), Mato Grosso (3.1%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (4.8%). The major negative influences this month came from Rio Grande do Sul (-2.0%), Federal District (-2.6%), Maranhão (-7.6%) and Amazonas (-4.8%). 

In the comparison with the same month of 2022, the retraction of the volume of services in Brazil (-0.3%) was followed by eight out of 27 Federation Units. The most important negative contribution came from São Paulo (-4.6%). Conversely, Minas Gerais (8.0%) and Paraná (9.2%), followed by Mato Grosso (18.1%), Bahia (6.0%) and Santa Catarina (4.4%) registered the major advances this month. 

As for the cumulative index in the year, against the same period in 2022, the advance in volume of services in Brazil (2.7%) was widespread over the places surveyed, since 25 out of 27 Federation Units also recorded increases in real services revenue. 

The major positive impacts in regional terms occurred in Minas Gerais (8.3%), Paraná (11.4%) and Rio de Janeiro (4.4%), followed by Mato Grosso (17.0%), Santa Catarina (8.3%) and Rio Grande do Sul (5.1%). On the other hand, São Paulo (-1.7%) and Amapá (-3.5%) registered the only negative influences on the national index. 

Tourism activities fall 2.4% in November  

In November 2023, the index of tourism activities retracted 2.4% against the immediately previous month, the second negative rate in a row, a period with a cumulative loss of 3.4%. As a result, the tourism segment was 2.2% above the level of February 2020 and 5.0% below the peak of the time series, reached in February 2014.  

In regional terms, ten out of 12 places surveyed followed the retraction movement reported in the national tourism activity (-2.4%). The most relevant negative influences were in São Paulo (-1.0%) and Bahia (-7.0%), followed by Minas Gerais (-2.6%), Paraná (-5.3%) and Ceará (-9.4%). Conversely, Santa Catarina (0.7%) and Espírito Santo (0.9%) reported the only advances in regional terms. 

In the November 2023 / November 2022 comparison, the index of volume of tourism activities in Brazil expanded 2.8%, the 32nd consecutive positive rate, mainly leveraged by the increase in the revenue of companies that work in the sectors of catering services, restaurants, car rental, theater and musical shows, travel agencies, mass road transportation and hotels. 

Seven out of 12 Federation Units surveyed registered advances in services related to tourism, highlighted by São Paulo (5.0%), Rio de Janeiro (10.1%) and Minas Gerais (10.4%). The major negative impacts were in Ceará (-18.7%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-6.2%).  

In the cumulative index between January and November 2023, the special aggregate of tourism activities expanded 7.5% against the same period a year ago, mainly due to revenue increases in companies in the sectors of car rental, catering services, hotels, travel agencies, air transportation, restaurants and mass road transportation.  

Eleven out of 12 places investigated also recorded positive rates, highlighted by the gains coming from São Paulo (6.8%), Rio de Janeiro (11.6%), Minas Gerais (16.5%), Bahia (12.6%) and Paraná (11.4%). The only negative figure was in Ceará (-2.1%). 

Cargo transportation advances, passenger transportation drops in November 

In November 2023, volume of passenger transportation in Brazil retreated 2.9% over the immediately previous month in the seasonally-adjusted series, the third consecutive negative rate, a period in which it reported a cumulative loss of 6.5%. In this reference month, this segment was 7.3% below the level of February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and 28.5% below that of February 2014 (peak of the time series).   

On its turn, volume of cargo transportation expanded 0.6% in November 2023, after recording a cumulative drop of 4.5% between August and October. Therefore, this segment stood 3.9% below its peak in the time series (July 2023). In comparison with the pre-pandemic level, cargo transportation was 37.9% above that of February 2020.  

Compared with November 2022, without seasonal adjustment, passenger transportation decreased 8.0% in November 2023, after an increase of 1.4% in October, whereas cargo transportation, in the same type of comparison, increased 4.2%, thus registering its 39th positive result in a row. 

In the cumulative index between January and November 2023, passenger transportation expanded 0.9% against the same period in 2022, whereas cargo transportation advanced 8.6% in the same interval investigated.