Brasília – Economic activity started the year on an upward trend. The non-seasonally adjusted Economic Activity Index of the Brazilian Central Bank (IBC-Br) rose 1.26% in January, compared to the previous month.
In the comparison with January 2013, the growth was 0.93%, according to non-adjusted data, as the comparison is between likewise months. In the twelve-month period ending in January, the growth was 2.29%.
The IBC-Br is a way to evaluate Brazilian economic activity. The index comprises information on the level of activity in the three economy sectors: industry, commerce and agriculture.
On the 12th, the governor of BC, Alexandre Tombini, said to investors that the growth pace in 2014 should keep close to last year’s. Tombini added that “the growth in 2013 featured a change in demand composition, with increased investment and family consumption moderation”.
Tombini also said that “higher investment, especially in logistics and infrastructure, together with efforts to qualify labor should come out as gains for the Brazilian economy”. Last year, the GDP (PIB in the Portuguese acronym) grew by 2.3%, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE in the Portuguese acronym).
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
