IBGE: Inflation in April is 0.61%, influenced by the increase in medicines

The result was released this Friday (12) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

According to the survey, all nine groups of products and services surveyed increased, with emphasis on Health and personal care, which had the greatest impact (0.19 pp) and the greatest variation (1.49%).

“The result in this group was influenced by the increase in pharmaceutical products, justified by the authorization of the readjustment of up to 5.60% in the prices of medicines, from March 31”, said, in a note, the research analyst, André Almeida.

Already prices in health plans were high by 1.20%. “There was incorporation of the monthly fractions of the readjustments of the new and old plans for the 2022 to 2023 cycle”, added the researcher.

Personal hygiene items decelerated from 0.76% in March to 0.56% in April, mainly influenced by perfumes (-1.09%).

Another group that contributed to the April result (with 0.15 pp) was food and beverages, with acceleration from 0.05% in March to 0.71%. The main contribution was food at home, which had presented deflation in the previous month (-0.14%) and increased by 0.73% in April. Impacted the prices of tomatoes (10.64%), long-life milk (4.96%) and cheese (1.97%).

Among foodstuffs with falling prices, onion (-7.01%) and soy oil (-4.44%) stand out. Food away from home changed by 0.66%, above the March change (0.60%). Snacks decelerated from 1.09% to 0.93%, while meals went from 0.41% to 0.51%.

Inflation in the transport group slowed down and rose by 0.56%, contributing 0.12 pp to the April IPCA. In March, the change had been 2.11%. “Contributed to this result the fall of 0.44% of fuels, which had recorded a high of 7.01% in March”, said Almeida.

Only ethanol (0.92%) rose in the month while diesel oil (-2.25%), vehicle gas (-0.83%) and gasoline (-0.52%) had a drop in prices.

Also in Transport, airfares rose 11.97% in April, after falling 5.32% in March, and were the sub-item with the greatest impact on general inflation (0.07 pp). Metro fares rose 1.24%, pressured by the 6.15% readjustment in Rio de Janeiro as of April 12th. Urban buses rose by 1.11%. Intercity bus prices fell by 0.25%.

In relation to regional indices, all areas increased in April, with emphasis on Campo Grande (0.89%), whose prices were pressured by residential electricity (6.11%). The smallest variation was registered in Recife (0.16%), influenced by the falls in gasoline (3.41%) and car repair (2.51).

INPC is up 0.53%

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) increased by 0.53% in April, below that registered in the previous month (0.64%). In the year, the index accumulates high of 2.42% and, in the last 12 months, of 3.83%. In April 2022, the rate was 1.04%

Food products increased by 0.61% while non-food products recorded inflation of 0.50%. All areas surveyed had a positive change, with the lowest result registered in Recife (0.07%) and the highest in Campo Grande (0.95%).