SAO PAULO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Economists raised sharply their forecasts for Brazil's 2015 inflation rate to a level further exceeding the official target, a weekly central bank poll showed on Monday. Inflation is expected to end 2015 at 6.99 percent, up from 6.67 percent in the prior week's survey and 6.53 percent a month ago, according to the median forecast of about 100 market economists. Brazil's government targets an inflation rate of 4.5 percent, with a tolerance margin of two percentage points. The median estimate for economic growth this year dropped to 0.13 percent from 0.38 percent in the previous week's survey and 0.55 percent a month earlier. (pct) 2015 2016 previous new previous new forecast forecast forecast forecast Consumer inflation 6.67 6.99 5.70 5.60 Exchange rate 2.80 2.80 2.85 2.90 (reais per U.S dollar, end-period) Interest rate 12.50 12.50 11.50 11.50 (end-period) GDP growth 0.38 0.13 1.80 1.54 Industrial output 0.71 0.69 2.65 2.50 (Reporting by Asher Levine; Editing by Toby Chopra)