Sri Lanka’s NCPI Inflation Steady at 8.1% in September as Food Prices Accelerate ECONOMY -

COLOMBO, October 22, 2026 — Sri Lanka’s headline inflation, measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), remained unchanged at 8.1% year-on-year in September 2026, as higher food inflation was accompanied by a slight easing in non-food inflation.

The NCPI All Items Index, based on 2021 prices, increased to 224.2 in September from 223.9 in August, recording a marginal month-on-month rise of 0.1%.

Food inflation accelerated to 6.9% year-on-year from 6.6% in August. The Food Index rose by 0.4% during the month to reach 253.0, indicating a further increase in food prices compared with the previous month.

Non-food inflation eased to 9.1% year-on-year from 9.3% in August, although it remained above the food inflation rate. The Non-Food Index edged down by 0.1% month-on-month to 205.6.

Despite the unchanged headline annual rate, the 12-month moving average inflation rate continued to rise, reaching 4.5% in September, compared with 4.1% in August and 3.5% in July.

The September figures show continued annual price increases across both food and non-food categories, with faster food inflation and moderating non-food inflation leaving the overall headline rate steady.