Official inflation, measured by the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA), reached 0.88%. The result was 0.18 percentage points (pp) higher than in February, when 0.70% was recorded. The increase was driven by prices in the transport and food and beverage groups. Together they accounted for 76% of the month’s IPCA.
In the year, the IPCA accumulated an increase of 1.92% and, in the last 12 months, of 4.14%. The percentage is above the 3.81% reached in the immediately previous 12 months. In March last year, the IPCA registered 0.56%.
The indicator data was released this Friday (10), by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
O increase of 4.59% in gasoline was the most relevant factor for the performance of transport priceswhich caused an impact of 0.23 pp on inflation for the month. Airfare (6.08%) and diesel (13.90%) also weighed in despite having less influence on the general index.
The biggest increases in food and beverages came from the subitems Long-life milk (11.74%) and Tomato (20.31%), which respectively represent impacts of 0.07 and 0.05 pp on the month’s IPCA. Together, these five sub-items were responsible for 0.43 percentage points of the IPCA in March (0.88%).
According to IBGE, the nine IPCA product and service groups showed increases in March. The most significant (1.64%) was transportfollowed by food and beverages (1.56%). Other advances “oscillated between 0.02%, in education, and 0.65%, in personal expenses”.
For the IPCA manager, Fernando Gonçalves, it is already possible to verify the effect of uncertainties in the international scenario on some sub-items, mainly fuels. The manager also highlighted that “in the food group, especially in food at home, the acceleration in the price level was more evident, with an increase of 1.94%, the highest since April 2022 (2.59%), combining the effects of reduced supply of some products with increases in freight, due to more expensive fuels”
The IPCA shows the variation in the average cost of living for families with a monthly income of 1 and 40 minimum wages.
INPC
The National Consumer Price Index (INPC) reached 0.91% in March. As a result, it was 0.35 pp above the February result (0.56%). In the year, the INPC accumulates an increase of 1.87% and, in the last 12 months, of 3.77%. The percentage exceeds the 3.36% accumulated in the immediately previous 12 months. In March 2025, the INPC had reached 0.51%.
*Brazil Agency
