Sri Lanka’s headline inflation surged to 5.4 percent in April 2026, up from 2.2 percent in March, the Department of Census and Statistics said Thursday — striking the Central Bank’s upper inflation target two months after the indicator held at 2.2 percent.
The Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 5.8 points to 201.6, a 2.99 percent monthly increase that translated into an additional Rs. 5,380.92 in the official market basket, the statistics office said.
Both food and non-food prices contributed. Food inflation rose to 2.8 percent year-on-year (March: 0.7 percent), while non-food inflation hit 6.8 percent (March: 2.9 percent). Coconut oil and vegetables led the food increase; transport and the housing/water/electricity/gas/other-fuels group drove non-food prices.
The jump follows the government’s roughly 35 percent fuel price increase in April, imposed after Brent crude breached USD 120 a barrel on the extended US naval blockade in the Middle East. Oil-shipping insurance and refinery margins have remained elevated through April, with CPC passing through costs into pump prices.
EconomyNext said the unexpectedly sharp rise may pressure the Central Bank to tighten monetary policy sooner than planned. The Monetary Policy Board was not previously projected to reach the 5 percent inflation target until later in 2026.
Sources: EconomyNext, Newswire, Department of Census and Statistics.
