The value of the basic food basket increased in 16 capitals in January this year. The National Survey of the Basic Food Basket, from the Inter-union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese), analyzed 17 capitals. Brasília (6.36%), Aracaju (6.23%), João Pessoa (5.45%), Fortaleza (4.89%) and Goiânia (4.63%) had the most expressive increases in the monthly change.
São Paulo, in turn, has the most expensive basket: R$ 713.86. Then there are the cities of Florianópolis (R$ 695.59), Rio de Janeiro (R$ 692.83), Vitória (R$ 677.54) and Porto Alegre (R$ 673). Among the cities in the North and Northeast, which have a different composition of the basket, the cheapest cost was observed in Aracaju, whose value was R$ 507.82; João Pessoa, R$ 538.65; and Salvador, 540.01.
In comparison with the same month last year, the highest accumulated increases were registered in Natal (21.25%), Recife (14.52%), João Pessoa (14.15%) and Campo Grande (14.08%). .
Weight in the budget
Based on this survey, Dieese calculates how much the minimum wage should be for maintaining a family of four based on the cost of the most expensive basket. In January 2022, the amount should be BRL 5,997.14, which is equivalent to 4.95 times the minimum value of BRL 1,212.
The department also calculates the average time needed to purchase the basic basket products. In January 2022, the journey was 112 hours and 20 minutes. In the previous month, the time required was 119 hours and 53 minutes.
Foods
Among the highlights in this month’s survey, the price of a kilo of powdered coffee rose in all capitals analyzed in comparison with December. According to Dieese, “the expectation of a shortfall in the 2022/2023 crop and the lower global coffee stocks raised both international and domestic prices”.
Sugar was also highlighted, with the highest value per kilo in 15 capitals. In Brasília, the cost of the product was 4.66% higher. Only Florianópolis and Porto Alegre had a fall, of 1.09% and 0.22%, respectively. The off season is the justification for the increase in prices.
Soybean oil became more expensive in 15 capitals, only Vitória and Aracaju had a low price. In Belém, which had the greatest variation, the cost of food increased by 5.99%. Dieese points out that the weather can affect soybeans in Brazil and that there is also a lot of foreign demand for the grain and crude oil.
The good news was the reduction in the price of rice and beans. The price of rice fell in 16 of the 17 capitals surveyed. In Vitória, Espírito Santo, the drop reached 9.87%. In the case of beans, the cost was cheaper in 12 capitals. “For the carioquinha type, researched in the North, Northeast, Midwest, in Belo Horizonte and São Paulo, the retractions ranged from -8.44%, in the capital of Minas Gerais, to -0.29%, in Aracaju”, says the report. Dieese’s note.
