Just a decade ago, monthly inflation was running at 80 percent and supermarket price tags eventually became too short to accommodate all the zeros.

Despite monthly inflation of 32 percent, Brazil's businesses managed to make the economy grow by about 4 percent in real terms.

Here's an interactive graph on monthly inflation since the beginning of the year:

The financial crisis continued to exert pressure on prices, however, and monthly inflation reached 197% in July.

Bookstore owners were also given 120 days to pay, a big benefit in a country of 40 percent monthly inflation.

By March, monthly inflation is expected to fall to 8 percent, from the current rate of 10 percent.

The central bank is expected to raise its benchmark lending rate next week for a fifth consecutive month to curb the increase in monthly inflation.

Behind such calls is Brazil's 40 percent monthly inflation, traceable in large part to the Government's deficit.

But during the first half of the year, monthly inflation rolled along at double-digit rates, propelled by an indexation system.

Belgrade is trying to find a remedy for economic distress whose symptoms include prolonged recession and 40 percent monthly inflation.