Sri Lanka’s headline inflation, as measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI, Base 2021=100), held steady at 8.1% year-on-year in September 2026, matching the rate recorded in August 2026. The All Items Index increased marginally by 0.1% month-on-month, moving from 223.9 in August to 224.2 in September 2026.

Food inflation accelerated to 6.9% year-on-year in September 2026, up from 6.6% in August, as the Food Index rose by 0.4% month-on-month to reach 253.0. By contrast, Non-Food year-on-year inflation eased slightly to 9.1% in September 2026 from 9.3% in August, with the Non-Food Index edging down by 0.1% month-on-month to 205.6.

On a long-term basis, the 12-month moving average inflation rate for All Items continued its trajectory upward, reaching 4.5% in September 2026 compared to 4.1% in August and 3.5% in July.