Sri Lanka Inflation Down To 3.2-Pct in Feb 2018

Sri Lanka’s National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) slowed to 3.2 percent in February 2018 from 5.4 percent in January, on a year-on-year basis, official data shows.

The reported inflation for the month of February 2018 was mainly due to comparatively higher price levels prevailed in February2017 and decline in food prices in February 2018, the Department of Census and Statistics said.

The NCPI for all items for the month of February 2018 was 123.7.  A decrease of 2.1 index points that is percentage of 1.7 was reported in February 2018 compared to that of January 2018 for which the index was 125.8.

This decrease represents decrease in expenditure value of Rs. 648.77 in the “Market Basket”.

This month on month change was contributed by decrease of expenditure value of food items by 1.96 percent and increase of non-food items by 0.35 percent.

The decrease in expenditure value of food items was due to the price decreases of vegetables, green chilies, red onions, rice, big onions, banana, Mysore dhal, fresh fish, potatoes sugar, limes and papaw. However, increases in expenditure value in index were reported for coconuts, chillie powder and chicken.

The increase in expenditure value of non-food items in February 2018 compared to the previous month was due to the expenditure value increases in groups of ‘Education’, ‘Health’, ‘Clothing and Footwear’, ‘Miscellaneous Goods and Services’, ‘Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other fuels’, ‘Furnishing, Household equipment and Routine household maintenance’, ‘Alcoholic beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics’, ‘Transport’ and ‘Recreation and Culture’.

The NCPI is a macroeconomic indicator compiled to measure inflation which is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services and it is measured as an annual percentage increase by NCPI.

Courtesy : LBO