get_inflation_rate: Get IPCA Inflation Data

In brfinance: Access to Brazilian Macroeconomic and Financial Time Series

Get IPCA Inflation Data

Description

Downloads monthly IPCA (Broad National Consumer Price Index) inflation data from the Brazilian Central Bank's SGS API and calculates accumulated inflation rates. IPCA is Brazil's official inflation index, calculated monthly by IBGE.

Usage

get_inflation_rate(
  start_date = "2012-01-01",
  end_date = NULL,
  language = "eng",
  labels = TRUE
)

Arguments

start_date	Start date for the data period. Accepts multiple formats: "YYYY" for year only (e.g., "2020" becomes "2020-01-01") "YYYY-MM" for year and month (e.g., "2020-06" becomes "2020-06-01") "YYYY-MM-DD" for a specific date (e.g., "2020-06-15") NULL defaults to "2020-01-01" (aligned with other functions in the package)
end_date	End date for the data period. Accepts the same formats as start_date: "YYYY" (e.g., "2023" becomes "2023-12-31") "YYYY-MM" (e.g., "2023-12" becomes the last day of December 2023) "YYYY-MM-DD" for a specific date NULL defaults to the current date (today)
language	Language for column names in the returned data.frame: "eng" (default): Returns columns date, monthly_inflation, ytd_inflation, twelve_month_inflation "pt": Returns columns data_referencia, inflacao_mensal, inflacao_acumulada_ano, inflacao_12_meses
labels	Logical indicating whether to add variable labels using the labelled package. Labels provide descriptive text for each column when available.

Value

A data.frame with inflation metrics. Columns depend on the language parameter:

• English (language = "eng"):

  • date (Date): Reference month

  • monthly_inflation (numeric): Monthly IPCA variation (%)

  • ytd_inflation (numeric): Year-to-date accumulated inflation (%)

  • twelve_month_inflation (numeric): 12-month accumulated inflation (%)

• Portuguese (language = "pt"):

  • data_referencia (Date): Mes de referencia

  • inflacao_mensal (numeric): Variacao mensal do IPCA (%)

  • inflacao_acumulada_ano (numeric): Inflacao acumulada no ano (%)

  • inflacao_12_meses (numeric): Inflacao acumulada nos ultimos 12 meses (%)

Note

Default Period: When start_date = NULL, defaults to "2020-01-01", providing data from the start of 2020. This period covers significant economic events including the COVID-19 pandemic and recent inflationary pressures in Brazil.

Data Processing: This function automatically downloads an extra 12 months of historical data to calculate 12-month accumulated inflation correctly. The final output is filtered to show only the requested period.

Calculation Details:

• Year-to-date inflation: Cumulative product of monthly rates within each calendar year

• 12-month inflation: Rolling 12-month cumulative product of monthly rates

Examples

  # Default: from 2020 to current date (aligned with SELIC function)
  df <- get_inflation_rate()

  # Specific period with year-only format
  df2 <- get_inflation_rate("2021", "2023")

  # Using year-month format for precise month selection
  df3 <- get_inflation_rate("2022-03", "2023-06")

  # Portuguese column names and labels
  df4 <- get_inflation_rate(language = "pt")

  # Without variable labels
  df5 <- get_inflation_rate("2020-01-01", "2022-12-31", labels = FALSE)

  # Current year analysis
  current_year <- format(Sys.Date(), "%Y")
  df6 <- get_inflation_rate(start_date = current_year)

  # Compare with SELIC rate (same default period)
  selic_data <- get_selic_rate()  # Also starts at 2020-01-01
  inflation_data <- get_inflation_rate()  # Same start date

brfinance documentation built on Feb. 19, 2026, 9:06 a.m.