Consumer prices fall 0.14% in August; 12-month rate eases to 4.95%
08/26/2025
Brazil’s IPCA-15 consumer price index fell 0.14% in August, reversing July’s 0.33% increase, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported Tuesday (26). It was the first monthly decline since July 2023, when the index slipped 0.07%. In August 2024, the gauge had risen 0.19%.
The IPCA-15 is a preview of the broader IPCA inflation index. It reflects the spending patterns of households earning between one and 40 minimum wages across nine metropolitan areas, plus Brasília and Goiânia. The main difference from the full IPCA is the data collection period and geographic coverage.
The result came in slightly above market expectations. A Valor Data survey of 22 consultancies and financial institutions projected a 0.22% drop, with forecasts ranging from a 0.28% decrease to a 0.09% gain.
Over 12 months, inflation slowed to 4.95% from 5.3% in July. The rate had stayed above 5% for five straight months, starting in March, when it reached 5.26%. Analysts had expected 4.88%, with estimates ranging from 4.80% to 5.26%.
The Central Bank’s target for 2025 is 3%, with a tolerance band of 1.5 percentage points in either direction.
Among the nine spending categories that make up the IPCA-15, household goods and clothing shifted back to positive territory, moving from -0.02% to 0.03% and from -0.10% to 0.17%, respectively. Health and personal care rose more sharply, from 0.25% to 0.64%, while personal expenses jumped from 0.25% to 1.09% and education from 0% to 0.78%.
Food and beverages fell more steeply, from -0.06% to -0.53%, while housing moved from a 0.98% gain to a 1.13% drop. Transportation and communication also turned negative, falling 0.47% and 0.17%, respectively.
Diffusion index
Price increases were more widespread in August. The diffusion index—which measures the share of items registering price gains—rose to 57.2% from 51.2% in July, according to Valor Data. Excluding food, often one of the most volatile components, the index jumped to 64.9% from 51.2%.
*By Lucianne Carneiro — Rio de Janeiro
Source: Valor International
https://valorinternational.globo.com/