Brazil: Household consumption is up 7.3% in April

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The consumption of Brazilian families increased by 7.37% in April compared to the same month in 2021, according to a survey released on June 8 by the Brazilian Supermarket Association (Abras).

In the first four months of the year, consumption increased by 2.5% compared to the same period last year.

According to the Administrative and Institutional vice-president of Abras, Marcio Milan, the results indicate consistent consumption growth in this first part of the year.

“It shows stability in consumption in February, March, and April,” he pointed out. Compared to March, the consumption expansion in April was 4.2%.

For this year, Abras forecasts that household consumption will grow by 2.8%.

HIGH PRICES

The basket with the 35 most consumed products in supermarkets registered, from January to April, an 8.31% increase compared to the same period in 2021. Over the last 12 months, prices have risen 17.87%.

The products with the highest increases in the first four months of 2022 were long-life milk (22.35%), soybean oil (20.38%), beans (19.71%), and wheat flour (15.45%).

According to Milan, the prices of products have suffered several inflationary pressures, such as the increase in energy costs with the war in Ukraine. For him, it is necessary to reduce, even momentarily, the taxes to contain the inflationary high.

“At least a period of cutting those taxes. An effort by the federal, state, and municipal governments to create alternatives so that we can have an unburdened basic food basket,” he defended.

With information from Agência Brasil