Economic activity fell in January, according to the Central Bank.
The decline was 0,13% in January compared to December. This was the first drop, in this type of comparison, since October 2011, when the index reached 138,56 points.
Brazil Agency - Economic activity began the year in decline. The Central Bank's Economic Activity Index (IBC-Br), seasonally adjusted, showed a contraction of 0,13% in January compared to December. This was the first decline, in this type of comparison, since October 2011, when the index reached 138,56 points – compared to 139,30 points in September. In January, the index registered 140,73 points compared to 140,91 points observed in December.
In the first month of the year compared to the same period in 2011, there was an increase of 0,75%. In the 12 months ending in January, the increase was 2,44%.
Without seasonal adjustments, the IBC-Br registered a 4,49% drop in January of this year compared to December 2011. Compared to the same month last year, there was a 1,44% increase. In the 12 months ending in January 2012, the index grew by 2,42%.
The IBC-Br is a way to assess and anticipate the evolution of Brazilian economic activity. The index incorporates information on the level of activity in the three sectors of the economy: industry, commerce and services, and agriculture. Monitoring the index is considered important by the Central Bank for a better understanding of economic activity and contributes to the decisions of the Monetary Policy Committee (Copom), responsible for setting the basic interest rate, the Selic.