School and food expenses drive inflation.

Goiás247_ Inflation in Goiânia, as measured by the Mauro Borges Institute of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies of the Secretariat of Management and Planning (IMB/Segplan), reached 1,31% in January 2013, compared to 1,12% in December 2012. Expenses related to education, mainly school fees, and food were the main drivers of the increase in the index at the beginning of the year in the capital.

According to researchers at IMB/Segplan, the higher rate of price growth is due to one-off adjustments and seasonal influences on items that are important in family budgets, such as vegetables and legumes (37,25%), elementary school tuition (9,29%), and payment to domestic employees (9%).

Education-related items alone rose by 5,66% during the period, while food expenses increased by 2,24%. Within the education group, the main culprits were school tuition fees, which increased by 12,6% in high school and 9,29% in elementary school, in addition to a 4,98% increase in the cost of computer courses. In the food group, the main products influencing the increase in the index were tomatoes (up 69,50%), potatoes (42,47%), cabbage (41,75%), carrots (31,77%), onions (29,86%), and zucchini (29,86%).

Basic basket

The IMB/Segplan inflation survey also indicates that the cost of the basic food basket in Goiânia in January increased by 4,67% compared to December 2012, closing at R$ 242,49. The products that weighed most heavily on the cost of the basic food basket in the capital were vegetables (up 18,43%). Further behind, with a smaller variation, are fruits (4,26%), flour and pasta (2,18%) and meat (1,58%).

Exclusive

The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey conducted by the Mauro Borges Institute of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies of the Secretariat of Management and Planning (IMB/Segplan) is based on families with incomes ranging from 1 to 5 minimum wages. The index is obtained by comparing the average prices of the products and services surveyed from the first to the last business day of the month with the prices collected during the same period of the previous month.

To calculate the monthly variations, 205 products and services are surveyed, distributed across nine expense groups: food, housing, household goods, personal expenses, health and personal care, clothing, transportation, education, and communication. The weighting structure for calculating the IPC/Goiânia is defined based on the Family Budget Survey (POF), conducted by IBGE in partnership with Segplan.

(With information from the Sectoral Communication Department of Segplan)