Sri Lanka’s urban consumer price inflation picked up pace in October 2026, reaching 8.3% on a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis, up from 8.0% in September 2026, according to official data released by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).
The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) stood at 209.9 in October 2026, registering an increase of 0.8 index points or 0.35% from 209.1 in September 2026. This reflects a monthly expenditure increase of Rs. 666.63 for the average urban household basket.
The month-on-month (M-o-M) increase was overwhelmingly driven by the Non-Food category, which contributed 0.33% to the overall monthly rise. Price increases within non-food groups were primarily led by Restaurants and Hotels (0.17%) and Transport (0.13%), alongside minor gains in health, recreation, and routine household maintenance.
In contrast, the Food group saw a minimal net monthly contribution of 0.02%. While price hikes were reported for items such as limes (0.14%), vegetables (0.11%), fresh fruits (0.06%), and bread (0.03%), these were largely counterbalanced by price decreases in sea fish (-0.25%), green chillies (-0.06%), eggs (-0.06%), and chicken (-0.03%).
- Food Group Y-o-Y Inflation: Rose slightly to 8.8% in October 2026 from 8.7% in September 2026, contributing 2.87 percentage points to the total inflation rate.
- Non-Food Group Y-o-Y Inflation: Climbed to 8.0% in October 2026 compared to 7.7% in the previous month, contributing 5.42 percentage points to overall inflation.
