Sri Lanka inflation decreased to 0.4-pct in December 2018

Jan 21, 2019 (LBO) – Headline inflation measured by the National Consumer Price Index has decreased to 0.

4 percent in December 2018 from 1.

0 percent in November 2018, the Central Bank data showed. The Central Bank said the decrease observed in year-on-year inflation in December is driven by the decrease of prices of items in both food and non-food categories.



Year-on-year food inflation decreased to -4.5 percent in December from -3.9 percent in November while year-on-year non-food inflation also decreased from 5.2 percent in November to 4.7 percent in December. The change in the NCPI measured on an annual average basis has decreased to 2.

1 percent in December from 2.7 percent in November. The month on month change of the NCPI was -0.

5 percent in December mainly due to decrease the in the prices of the items in the Non-Food category.





The core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, remained at 3.1 percent in December on a year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, annual average core inflation also remained unchanged at 2.



4 percent in December 2018.