The inflation rate will be 4.7 percent in April 2026.

The Department of Census and Statistics, operating under the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development of Sri Lanka, today released the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) and the monthly consumer inflation rate for April 2026. These calculations have been made considering 2021 as the base year.

Accordingly, Sri Lanka's overall year-on-year inflation rate for April 2026 is recorded at 4.7 percent. The National Consumer Price Index, which stood at 210.9 in March 2026, has increased to 216.3 in April this year. Furthermore, the overall increase in the general price level relative to the 2021 index reference period is recorded at 116.3 percent.

In calculating these inflation values, a weight of 39.22 percent has been assigned to the Food category, and 60.78 percent to the Non-Food category. For April 2026, the year-on-year inflation rate for the Food category is recorded at 1.1 percent, while the Non-Food category shows a year-on-year inflation rate of 7.8 percent. The Food category contributed 0.5 percentage points and the Non-Food category contributed 4.3 percentage points to the overall year-on-year inflation rate of 4.7 percent. The monthly change in the index was influenced by 0.46 percentage points from the Food category and 2.08 percentage points from the Non-Food category.

Within the Non-Food category, inflation rates across various sub-sectors show notable changes in April compared to March 2026. Accordingly, inflation in the Transport sector recorded a high of 14.3 percent, and in the Education sector, it was 8.9 percent in April. Additionally, inflation in the Housing, Water, Electricity, and Gas category was 7.8 percent, and in the Restaurants and Hotels category, it was 6.7 percent. The Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco category recorded 2.5 percent inflation, and the Recreation and Culture category recorded 2.3 percent for April.

The core year-on-year inflation rate, calculated after excluding frequently changing food, energy, and transport expenses, has been announced as 4.4 percent for April. The core National Consumer Price Index, which was 198.6 in March 2026, increased to 202.2 in April 2026. The Department of Census and Statistics plans to release the National Consumer Price Index for the next month, May 2026, on June 22, 2026, at 3:00 PM.