Food inflation in Sri Lanka increased for the sixth consecutive month in September, reaching 6.9% even as the country’s overall inflation rate remained unchanged at 8.1%.
The latest National Consumer Price Index figures, released by the Department of Census and Statistics on October 21, show that food inflation rose from 6.6% in August.
Non-food inflation declined slightly, moving from 9.3% to 9.1% over the same period.
The opposing movements left headline inflation unchanged.
Food inflation has risen since March
The department’s monthly figures show that food inflation reached 0.7% in March 2026.
It subsequently increased in every monthly reading through September.
The rate rose to 1.1% in April, 1.5% in May and 3.3% in June.
It reached 4.9% in July before increasing to 6.6% in August and 6.9% in September.
| Month | Food inflation |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | 0.7% |
| April 2026 | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 1.5% |
| June 2026 | 3.3% |
| July 2026 | 4.9% |
| August 2026 | 6.6% |
| September 2026 | 6.9% |
Calculations by Lakbima News show that food inflation increased by 6.2 percentage points between March and September.
The comparison uses the department’s published year-on-year inflation rates.
Several everyday foods became more expensive
The September report identifies price increases affecting big onions, fresh fruits, milk powder, coconuts, sugar, potatoes, bread and chicken.
Wheat flour, red onions and several other food items also contributed to the monthly increase.
Some products became cheaper during September.
The department recorded downward price contributions from fresh fish, eggs, rice, vegetables and dried fish.
These movements occurred within the same monthly index.
The increase in food inflation therefore represents the combined movement of many products rather than a uniform increase across every food category.
Fuel prices helped reduce non-food pressure
Non-food inflation declined to 9.1% in September.
The department attributed part of the monthly reduction in non-food prices to lower petrol and LP gas prices.
Price increases were recorded in education, health, restaurants and hotels, and household-related services.
Core inflation, which excludes selected volatile components, increased from 6.3% in August to 6.4% in September.
8.1%: National headline inflation, unchanged from August.
6.9%: Food inflation, up from 6.6%.
9.1%: Non-food inflation, down from 9.3%.
6.4%: Core inflation, up from 6.3%.
Pressure on household food spending
The national inflation rate measures the change in consumer prices compared with the same month a year earlier.
An unchanged annual inflation rate does not mean that prices have stopped increasing.
The overall NCPI increased from 223.9 in August to 224.2 in September.
The department reported a monthly increase of approximately 0.11%.
For households, the continued rise in annual food inflation means the food component of the consumer basket is becoming more expensive compared with a year earlier.
The latest inflation figures do not establish how much of the increase in food prices is attributable to weather conditions.
Supply, imports, distribution costs and movements in individual commodity prices can all affect the index.
The September release nevertheless confirms that food inflation continued to rise despite the unchanged national headline rate.
