Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index increased to 39.1% in May 2022 from 29.8% in April 2022 driven by the monthly increases in both Food and Non-Food categories.
Subsequently, Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 57.4% in May 2022 from 46.6% in April 2022, while Non-Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 30.
6% in May 2022 from 22.0% in April 2022.
Monthly change of CCPI recorded at 8.34% in May 2022 due to price increases observed in items of both Non-Food and Food categories which were 4.87% and 3.47%, respectively.
Accordingly, prices of items in the Non-Food category recorded increases mainly due to price increases observed in the Transport (Petrol, diesel and bus fare), Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuel (LP gas and Materials for maintenance/reconstruction), Restaurant and Hotels and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (Car insurance) sub-categories. Further, within the Food category, increases were observed in prices of vegetables, fresh fish, rice, bread, dried fish and dhal during the month.
Meanwhile, annual average inflation rose to 14.2% in May 2022 from 11.3% in April 2022.
The core inflation (Y-o-Y), which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy increased to 28.4% in May 2022 from 22.0% in April 2022, while annual average core inflation increased to 10.2% in May 2022 from 8.1% in April 2022.