Colombo or the whole country? Two ways Sri Lanka measures rising prices
Sri Lanka publishes two inflation figures every month. Which one matters depends on where you live and what you buy.
When you hear that prices in Sri Lanka are rising 8% a year, there are actually two numbers behind the headline. Both come from the Department of Census and Statistics, and they don’t always move together.
The two indexes
- Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI): tracks prices in the urban areas of the Colombo District. It comes out at the end of each month, so it is usually the first figure you hear. The Central Bank uses it as its main measure of inflation.
- National Consumer Price Index (NCPI): tracks prices across all provinces, from district towns all over the country. It comes out about three weeks after the month ends.
Why food makes the difference
Each index is built from a “basket” of what households actually spend money on. Families outside Colombo spend a much bigger share of their money on food.
- Food makes up about 26% of the Colombo basket.
- Food makes up about 39% of the national basket.
So when rice, vegetables or coconut prices jump, the national figure tends to feel it more. When fuel, electricity, transport or rent rise, the Colombo figure can move faster. In August, national food prices were up 6.6% on a year earlier and non-food prices 9.3%, the Department reported, a sign that this year’s rise is being driven mainly by energy and other costs rather than food.
What it means for you
- In Colombo or another city: watch the CCPI. It is closer to your costs for transport, utilities and rent.
- In a district town or village: the NCPI is the better guide, because food is a bigger part of your spending.
- Sending money home from Australia: the family you support may be feeling food prices more than the headline figure suggests.
The next national figure, for September, is due in the third week of October.
Sources: Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Annual Report 2022, Box 6 (rebasing the consumer price indices); Department of Census and Statistics NCPI for August 2026, as reported by Newswire, 21 September 2026; CCPI for September 2026 (see our story on prices and the Central Bank). This is general information, not financial advice.