The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) announced on Friday it recorded an inflation rate of 0.25 percent in April, down from 0.37 percent in March.

The federal government used the Ample Index of Prices to Consumers (IPCA), measured by the IBGE, to establish the inflation target for the year. In 2007, the inflation rate is expected to reach 4.5 percent.

During the period of January to April, the IBGE registered an accumulated IPCA of 1.51 percent, down from 1.65 percent on the same period last year. Over the past 12 months, inflation rates amounted to three percent.

According to the IBGE, prices for fuels saw a significant rise in April, as ethanol was up an average of 7.34 percent and gasoline 0.66 percent.

Prices for food products remained relatively stable, with a slight rise of 0.03 percent, while in March they were up 0.98 percent.

Brazil's Para state in the Amazon region registered the highest inflation rate throughout the nation, where prices rose 0.67 percent. The IPCA also showed that general prices in Rio de Janeiro fell, with the deflation rate at 0.16 percent in April.