Headline inflation, as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index, increased to 9.9 percent in November 2021 from 7.6 percent in October 2021. Meanwhile, the CCPI measured on an annual average basis, increased to 5.3 percent in November 2021 from 4.8 percent in October 2021.
Inflation was driven by monthly increases of prices of items in both Food and Non-food categories. Subsequently, Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 17.5 percent in November 2021 from 12.8 percent in October 2021, while Non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 6.4 percent in November 2021 from 5.4 percent in October 2021.
Monthly change of CCPI recorded at 2.57 percent in November 2021 due to price increases observed in items of both Food and Non-food categories which were 1.76 percent and 0.81 percent, respectively.
Accordingly, within the Food category, prices of vegetables, rice, milk powder, big onion, chicken and fresh fish increased. Further, prices of items in the Non-Food category recorded increases mainly due to price increases observed in the Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (L.P. Gas, Maintenance/ Reconstruction) and Miscellaneous Goods and Services (Hair cutting and shaving charges) sub-categories during the month.
The core inflation (Y-o-Y), which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, increased to 7.
0 percent in November 2021 from 6.3 percent in October 2021. Moreover, annual average core inflation increased to 4.0 percent in November 2021 from 3.6 percent in October 2021.