Sri Lanka’s NCPI inflation dips to 8.4-pct in April

May 23, 2017 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's country-wide inflation decreased to 8.



4 percent in April from 8.6 percent in March on an year-on-year basis, the Census and Statistics department said in a statement.

"The overall rate of inflation as measured by NCPI on Y-on-Y basis is 8.4 percent in April 2017 and inflation calculated for March 2017 was 8.

6 percent," it said. "This monthly increase was mainly due to the increase in prices of the items in the Food category." The year-on-year inflation of the food group reported for the month of April 2017 was 11.8 percent while that for non food group was 5.

9 percent. The NCPI for all items for the month of April 2017 was 121, an increase of 1.5 index points or a percentage of 1.3 in April 2017 compared to that of March 2017 for which the index was 119.

5. This increase represents increase in expenditure value of Rs.



485.84 in the “Market Basket”, the statement added.



Within the Food category, prices of vegetables, coconuts, bananas, fresh fish, potatoes, red onions and chicken increased during the month of April while in the Non-food category, prices of items in clothing and footwear; furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance; transport; restaurants and hotels and miscellaneous goods and services sub-categories increased. Prices in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels; Health; Communication; Recreation and Culture and Education remained unchanged.