Rio, October 22, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Broad Consumer Price Index-15 (IPCA-15) went up 0.66% in October, as against 0.57% in September. Inflation for the year, as measured by this index - a preliminary estimate of the Broad Consumer Price Index, which is a reference for the federal government's system of inflation targets -, has experienced a cumulative increase of 9.15%, and, over the past 12 months, 14.84%.

The rate reflects an increase in the prices of food and some items with administered prices. Inflation in the Food and Beverage group went from 0.17% in September to 0.87% in October. Among the items with administered prices, water and sewage bills (3.24%) and taxi fares (5.44%) stood out, influenced mostly by readjustments in the São Paulo metropolitan area. Service prices were readjusted in all 11 areas included in the study.

The IPCA-15 refers to families that earn the equivalent of between 1 and 40 minimum wages and encompasses the metropolitan areas of Rio, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife, São Paulo, Belém, Fortaleza, Salvador, Curitiba, Brasília, and Goiânia. The difference between the IPCA-15 and the IPCA is the date when prices are recorded. (DAS)