Brasília – Economic activity presented reduction in February, according to figures disclosed on Friday (12) by the Central Bank (BC). In the second half of the year, the Central Bank’s Economic Activity Index (IBC-Br) adjusted for the period (unseasoned) dropped 0.52% in comparison with January this year.
This is the worst result recorded by the Central Bank for months of February as against January since the series that started being recorded, in 2003. The percentage of the drop (0.52%) was equal to that recorded in 2005, in the same kind of comparison (February against January). According to revised and seasonally adjusted figures, in January this year, as against December 2012, the IBC-Br grew 1.43%.
In the 12 months ending in February, economic activity presented expansion of 0.87% (unadjusted). In comparison with February this year and the same month in 2012, there was 0.44% growth, according to unseasoned figures for the period, considered the most adequate for this kind of comparison.
The IBC-Br is a form of evaluating and trying to anticipate the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) performance, calculated by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and disclosed quarterly.
*Translated by Mark Ament
