BRASILIA: Brazil's economic activity rose sharply in January, a central bank index showed on Monday, signaling a ninth straight month of expansion and at more than double the pace forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.

The IBC-Br economic activity index, a leading indicator of gross domestic product, rose a seasonally adjusted 1.04% in December, significantly more than the 0.4% increase forecast in the Reuters poll. It was down 0.46% versus January last year.