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| National Consumer Price Index (Brazil) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Consumer Price Index (Brazil) |
| Native name | Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor |
| Acronym | INPC |
| Administered by | Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística |
| Country | Brazil |
| Introduced | 1979 |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Base year | 1993=100 (example) |
National Consumer Price Index (Brazil) The National Consumer Price Index (Brazil) is an official Brazilian price index tracking consumer price movements for specified urban household segments, produced by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. It is used alongside other price aggregates such as the Extended National Consumer Price Index and regional indices to inform monetary policy at the Banco Central do Brasil and fiscal decisions by the Ministério da Fazenda. The index underpins adjustments in wage negotiations involving entities like the Confederação Nacional da Indústria and the Central Única dos Trabalhadores.
The index measures monthly changes in prices of a basket of goods and services consumed by households in metropolitan areas such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Belo Horizonte, aligning with classifications from the Organização Internacional do Trabalho and standards used by the Comissão Econômica para a América Latina e o Caribe. It complements indicators published by agencies including the Fundação Getulio Vargas and the Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada, and its data feed into models maintained by universities such as the Universidade de São Paulo and the Fundação Getulio Vargas. Users include Banco Central do Brasil, Ministério da Economia, pension funds like Caixa Econômica Federal, and labor unions negotiating with Federação das Indústrias.
The index originated in the late 1970s amid inflationary episodes during the presidencies of Ernesto Geisel and João Figueiredo and reforms associated with the Plano Cruzado era. Its methodology evolved through collaborations with international organizations including the Banco Mundial and the Fundo Monetário Internacional and was refined after episodes tied to the Plano Real introduced under Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Academic contributions from scholars at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and Universidade de Campinas influenced revisions, while legislative contexts shaped its adoption in wage indexation debates involving the Supremo Tribunal Federal and Congresso Nacional.
Sampling and weighting follow household expenditure patterns derived from surveys such as the Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares and classifications modeled on systems used by the Organização Mundial do Comércio and the Comissão Europeia. Price collection covers retail outlets, service providers, and regulated tariffs in metropolitan regions using stratified sampling and price verification protocols comparable to practices at the Office for National Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The basket spans categories linked to Sistema Nacional de Informações e Indicadores Econômicos and includes food and beverages, housing, transportation, health, education, and communication, with weights adjusted following cycles like censuses conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística.
Compilation is performed by regional teams at the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, coordinated with municipal statistical offices and using IT systems influenced by standards from the Organização das Nações Unidas. Results are released monthly in official press kits distributed to media outlets such as Agência Brasil, Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, and broadcasters like Rede Globo, and published for analysts at financial institutions including Banco do Brasil, Itaú Unibanco, and Bradesco. Time series are integrated into databases used by research centers at Fundação Getulio Vargas, Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada, and international bodies like the Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico.
Policy makers at Banco Central do Brasil use the index in inflation targeting frameworks alongside the Sistema Especial de Liquidação e de Custódia and rate-setting deliberations involving Copom, while fiscal authorities at Ministério da Economia and Previdência Social use it for indexation of pensions and benefits administered by Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social. Labor negotiations reference the index in collective bargaining with unions such as Força Sindical and CUT, and contracts in sectors represented by Confederação Nacional do Comércio may include clauses tied to it. Financial markets, rating agencies like Standard & Poor's and Moody's, and analysts at investment banks integrate the index into inflation expectations, yield curve estimates, and macroeconomic forecasts by institutions including Banco Central and the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social.
Critiques have focused on urban concentration, potential underrepresentation of informal economies prevalent in favelas and quilombos, and timing issues highlighted by researchers at Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Debates involve comparisons with alternative measures produced by Fundação Getulio Vargas and private providers, and legal challenges have been raised in forums such as tribunais estaduais concerning indexation in contractual disputes. Methodological limitations cited by academics and policy analysts include substitution bias, fixed-weight lag, and scope constraints when comparing to harmonized indices from the Comissão Europeia and the International Labour Organization.
Category:Economy of Brazil Category:Price indices