Sri Lanka’s inflation rate increased sharply to 4.7% in April 2026 on a year-on-year basis, according to official data released under the National Consumer Price Index.
The figure marks a notable rise from the 2.4% inflation rate recorded in March 2026.
The latest data showed differing trends between food and non-food categories.
Food Inflation
Year-on-year inflation in the food category rose slightly:
- From 0.7% in March
- To 1.1% in April
Food items contributed approximately 0.50 percentage points to the overall inflation rate.
Non-Food Inflation
Non-food inflation recorded a much sharper increase:
- Rising from 3.8% in March
- To 7.8% in April
Non-food items contributed 4.26 percentage points to the overall inflation figure.
The increase was mainly driven by higher prices in several sectors, including:
- Transport — 1.69%
- Other Fuels — 1.26%
- Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
Additional price increases were also reported in:
- Health — 0.14%
- Clothing and Footwear — 0.11%
- Furnishing and Household Maintenance — 0.08%
- Education — 0.33%
- Restaurants and Hotels — 0.34%
- Miscellaneous Goods and Services — 0.22%
The rise in inflation comes amid continued pressure on the Sri Lankan Rupee, increasing fuel and energy costs, and broader global economic uncertainty linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
