In the seasonally-adjusted series, the Brazilian volume of services changed 0.3% in January 2026 in relation to last December. With this result, the services sector equals the record level of the time series, which was also achieved in the months of October and November last year, standing 20.1% above the pre-pandemic level (February 2020). This is information from the IBGE Monthly Survey of Services (PMS).

Still in the seasonally-adjusted series, the quarterly moving average for services remained stable (0.0%) in the quarter ending in January 2026, compared to the immediately previous quarter.

The positive change of 0.3%, from December 2025 to January 2026, was accompanied by three out of five activities investigated: other services (3.7%), information and communication (1.0%) and transportation (0.4%). The only negative rate of the month came from services rendered to families (-1.2%). On the other hand, professional, administrative and complementary services remained stable (0.0%).

For Rodrigo Lobo, manager of the PMS, “the January's result maintained the services sector at its highest level and highlighted diversified services investigated in different sectors, such as agencying of advertising, IT services, auxiliary financial services and postal activities.”

Compared to January last year, services grew 3.3%, its 22nd advance

Compared to January 2025, volume of services grew 3.3%, its 22nd consecutive positive result. The cumulative result in the last 12 months stayed at 3.0%.

The sectors of information and communication (6.5%) and professional, administrative and complementary services (5.0%) exerted the main positive impacts. The other advances came from transportation, support services to transportation and mailing (1.1%); other services (1.9%); and services rendered to families (0.5%). The diffusion index for January 2026 was 48.2%, which is the percentage of positive rates among the 166 types of services investigated.

For the manager of the IBGE Monthly Survey of Services, “in this type of comparison, the services sector continues to show great dynamism, with services aimed at companies taking center stage, mainly information and communication and professional and administrative services.”

Tourism activities fall 1.1% in January

In January 2026, the tourism activity index fell 1.1% compared to December 2025, the second negative result in a row. The tourism segment is 11.6% above the level of February 2020 and 1.9% below the peak of the time series (December 2024).

Eight out of 17 states in which this activity is researched registered negative rates. The most relevant negative impact came from Paraná (-9.4%), with Pernambuco (-8.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.6%) following. On the other hand, São Paulo (0.6%) was the most intense positive influence, followed by Amazonas (4.7%) and Pará (3.2%). Lobo assesses that “the decline in services rendered to families, notably in restaurants, was decisive for the setback in service activities related to tourism, explained, to a large extent, due to a higher comparison base in the month of December.”

Compared to January 2025, the volume of tourism activities in Brazil grew 3.5%, driven by air transportation of passengers; travel agencies; restaurants; and accommodation-related reservation services.

In this comparison, there were positive rates in 11 out of 17 Federation Units where the indicator is investigated, with emphasis on São Paulo (5.0%) and Rio de Janeiro (11.9%), followed by Pará (17.9%), Federal District (8.8%), Mato Grosso (20.7%) and Amazonas (13.7%). The main negative impact of the month came from Minas Gerais (-6.5%), with Santa Catarina (-6.3%), Pernambuco (-6.6%) and Goiás (-8.4%) following.

Passenger transportation remains stable against December

In January 2026, the volume of passenger transportation services in Brazil showed stability (0.0%) in relation to December, in the seasonally-adjusted series. This segment is 6.7% above the level of February 2020 (pre-pandemic) and 17.9% below the peak of the time series (February 2014).

In turn, the volume of cargo transportation had a positive change of 0.1% in January, remaining 4.3% below the highest point in its series (July 2023) and 38.3% above the pre-pandemic level (February 2020).

In comparison with the same month of the previous year, without seasonal adjustment, passenger transportation showed an expansion of 5.7% in January 2026, the 17th positive result in a row; while cargo transportation advanced 3.0%, in the same type of comparison, thus registering the ninth consecutive increase.

Services grow in 12 out of 27 states

In 12 states, the PMS showed positive rates in January, in the seasonally-adjusted series. Even without having the biggest increase, São Paulo (1.6%) exerted the most important impact on the January rate, with Mato Grosso (5.6%), Santa Catarina (1.3%), Rio Grande do Sul (1.1%) and Pará (3.1%) following. In contrast, the main negative influences came from Paraná (-7.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (-3.0%).

Compared to January 2025, the 3.3% increase in volume of services was seen in 16 states. The most important positive contribution came, once again, from São Paulo (6.5%), with Mato Grosso (44.8%), Federal District (10.0%), Pará (6.9%) and Amazonas (5.7%) following. The most impactful losses came from Rio de Janeiro (-3.2%), Minas Gerais (-1.5%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-2.5%).

More about PMS

The Monthly Survey of Services produces indicators to monitor the short-term behavior of the services sector in Brazil. The survey investigates the gross revenue from services in formal enterprises employing 20 or more persons, in which the main activity is a non-financial service, excluding the areas of health and education.  It produces results for Brazil and all the Federation Units.  The results are available on Sidra. The next release of the Monthly Survey of Services, related to February 2026, will be on April 14, 2026.

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