INPC slows down in March, but rises 0.64%, reveals survey

The National Consumer Price Index (INPC), which calculates the change in the shopping basket of families with incomes of up to five minimum wages, increased by 0.64% in March.

The percentage represents a slowdown compared to February, when it was 0.77%. The INPC accumulates an increase of 1.88% in the year and, in the last 12 months, of 4.36%. This result is lower than the 5.47% registered in the immediately previous 12 months. In March 2022, the rate had stood at 1.71%. The data were disclosed today (11), in Rio de Janeiro, by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

After an increase of 0.04% in February, food products decreased by 0.07% in March. As for non-food products, despite the increase of 0.87%, the percentage is also lower in comparison with that observed in February when it increased by 1.01%.

positive variation

According to the IBGE, all areas recorded positive growth in March. With an increase of 0.26%, Belo Horizonte had the lowest result in the month. In the capital of Minas Gerais, the impacts were caused by falls in the prices of potatoes (-18.88%) and fruits (-11.60%). The greatest change occurred in Porto Alegre (1.37%), where there were increases of 10.63% in gasoline and 9.69% in electricity.

In a note, IBGE reported that, for the calculation of the index for the month, “the prices collected in the period from March 1 to 29, 2023 (reference) were compared with the prices in force in the period from January 28 to February 28, 2023 (base)”.

Since 1979, the IBGE has calculated the INPC, which refers to families earning between one and five minimum wages and covers ten metropolitan regions in the country, in addition to Goiânia, Campo Grande, Rio Branco, São Luís, Aracaju and Brasília.