In February, food inflation is low, non-food inflation is high.

The Department of Census and Statistics released the National Consumer Price Index and monthly consumer inflation for February 2026 on March 23, 2026. Director General K.M.D.S.D.

According to a statement by Mr. Karunaratne, the year-on-year headline inflation in Sri Lanka, i.e., inflation in February compared to the corresponding month last year, was recorded at 1.6%. This was at 2.4% in January 2026, indicating a clear decrease in inflation by February.

Considering the index values, the National Consumer Price Index, which was recorded at 211.4 in January 2026, decreased to 209.4 by February 2026. The food category contributed -0.92% to this monthly change, while the non-food category contributed 0.01%. Accordingly, the overall monthly change is recorded as -0.9%. Furthermore, the index value of core inflation, which is calculated by excluding frequently changing prices of food, energy, and transport costs, also showed a slight decrease from 197.9 in January to 197.6 in February.

When calculating the overall National Consumer Price Index, a weight of 39.22% is applied to the food category and 60.78% to the non-food category. For the overall year-on-year inflation of 1.6% recorded in February 2026, food inflation was reported at 1.1%, which was a higher value of 3.4% in January. However, non-food inflation showed a slight increase from 1.6% in January to 1.9% in February. Statistical reports indicate that the food category contributed 0.5% and the non-food category contributed 1.1% to the overall year-on-year inflation of 1.6%.

According to these latest data, the Department of Census and Statistics further confirms that the overall increase in the general price level of the country currently stands at 109.4% compared to the base year 2021. Subsequently, the National Consumer Price Index for March 2026 is scheduled to be officially released on April 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM.