This year started off with higher inflation than in the first month of 2015, which had seen a 1.24% price change. 
The official inflation rate gauged by the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) was 1.27% in January 2016, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported today (Feb. 5). The rate in the first month of the year was up from December's 0.96%.
This year also started off with higher inflation than in the first month of 2015, which had seen a 1.24% price change. The cumulative rate for the past twelve months was 10.71%—more than the cumulative 12-month rate reported in the end of 2015 (10.67%). The annual rate was also above the inflation target ceiling of 6.5% set by the federal government.
The IPCA measures price changes as perceived by families with incomes between one and 40 times the minimum wages in 11 metropolitan areas.
Price groups
The leading inflation driver was the Food and Beverages group, which rose 2.28%, and transport (1.77%). The food price hike was the sharpest since December 2002, when it was up 3.91%. The cumulative 12-month hike for this item (12.9%) was higher than the overall IPCA rate.
Fuel (2.11%) and public transport (3.84%) accounted for the hike in the Transport group.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Official inflation 1.27% in January
