Inflation ticks up to 6.5% in June as food prices rebound

Non-food inflation stays in double-digit territory as core inflation holds near 5%

By The Pulseline News Desk

Sri Lanka’s year-on-year inflation edged higher in June 2026, with the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) rising to 6.5%, up from 5.4% in May, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) reported.

The uptick was driven largely by a sharp rebound in food prices. Food inflation more than doubled month-on-month, climbing to 3.3% in June from just 1.5% in May. Non-food inflation also picked up pace, rising to 9.3% from 8.6% over the same period, keeping overall price pressure on an upward trajectory for a second consecutive month.

Index climbs 1.6%

In absolute terms, the NCPI rose to 222.3 points in June, up from 218.8 in May — a monthly increase of 1.6%. The Department’s breakdown showed food items contributed 1.11 percentage points to that monthly rise, while non-food items added a further 0.49 percentage points, underscoring the outsised role food prices played in June’s acceleration.

Core inflation steadier, but still elevated

Core inflation — a measure that strips out volatile food, energy and transport items to give a clearer read on underlying price trends — stood at 5.0% year-on-year in June, with a more modest monthly increase of 0.8%. The relatively contained core figure, compared with the sharper headline number, suggests much of June’s inflationary pressure came from short-term swings in food and other volatile categories rather than a broad-based shift in the underlying price trend.

Prices now 22% above 2021 levels

Taken against the NCPI’s base year of 2021, the Department noted that the general price level in June 2026 stood 122.3% higher — meaning prices have more than doubled since the base year, a reflection of the cumulative effect of the economic crisis and subsequent price adjustments over the past several years.