Inflation accelerated in February for the rich, poor and middle class in Brazil. In other words, none of these groups managed to escape the greater pressure on prices, indicates a monthly survey released this Wednesday (16) by Ipea (Institute of Applied Economic Research).
The study divides the Brazilian population according to six household income brackets. All felt higher inflation in February.
The monthly highlight came from the high-income segment. In it, inflation accelerated from 0.34% to 1.07% between January and February. It was the highest rate in the survey last month.
The high-income segment includes families with monthly household income above R$17,764.49. They are Brazilians who have more financial conditions to face the famine.
According to Ipea, the inflation of the richest was driven by the advances in prices in the education area at the beginning of the school year. There were readjustments of 6.7% in school fees and 3.9% in extracurricular courses.
In February, the second highest inflation was felt at the other end of the survey: that of the poorest. Over the past two months, the price index for very low-income families has accelerated from 0.63% to 1%.
The group brings together Brazilians with a household income of less than R$ 1,808.79 per month. It is the segment that tends to suffer the most with the increase in prices.
In February, very low income inflation was driven by food and beverage prices. Expenditure on food has a greater impact on the budget of the poorest.
Ipea recalls that there were increases in products such as beans (9.4%), wheat flour (2.8%), biscuits (2.3%), pasta (1.1%) and bread (1%).
Fresh foods were also more expensive, especially potatoes (23.5%), carrots (55.4%) and cabbage (25.7%). Coffee (2.5%) and milk (1%), which form a traditional combination at the table of Brazilians, did not escape the advances either.
In early 2022, adverse weather damaged crops and pressured food prices in the country. While municipalities in the Southeast recorded excess rainfall, the South is experiencing a period of drought.
According to Ipea, inflation also accelerated for the average income (between R$ 4,506.47 and R$ 8,956.26) from January to February. The price index of this group went from 0.53% to 0.98%, the third main index in the survey.
Inflation still gained strength in the upper-middle income segments (from 0.51% to 0.97%), lower-middle income (from 0.58% to 0.93%) and low (from 0.62% to 0. .94%).
Accumulated inflation is higher for the poor
Although the index of the richest was higher in February, it is the poorest who experience higher inflation in the 12-month period. In this cut, the advance of prices for the very low income reached 10.9% until February.
High income, in turn, had accumulated inflation of 9.7% in the same period. It is the lowest mark of the survey in 12 months, signals Ipea.
According to analysts, inflation tends to receive new pressure from March onwards, with the economic consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The conflict has already impacted commodities such as oil, generating a mega-boom in fuels in Brazil last week.
With tension in Eastern Europe, agricultural prices also rose on the international market. Thus, analysts see risks to inflation from part of food in Brazil.
To try to stop prices, the Central Bank’s Copom (Monetary Policy Committee) has been raising the basic interest rate. In February, the collegiate took the Selic to 10.75% per year.
Part of the market already sees the rate above 13% at the end of 2022. The Copom has a meeting this Wednesday to define the new Selic level.
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