Inflation drops to 3.9% in June

• Decrease from 4% in May 
• Decline driven by non-food category 
• Annual core inflation dropped to 13-month low of 4.2% 

Headline inflation as measured by the year-on-year (Y-o-Y) change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index declined to 3.9% in June 2020 from 4% in May 2020, the Census and Statistics Department said yesterday. 

This was solely driven by the statistical effect of the high base prevailed in June 2019. Food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 10% in June 2020 from 9.9% in May 2020. Meanwhile, Non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) declined to 1.4% in June 2020 from 1.6% in May 2020.

The change in the CCPI measured on an annual average basis remained unchanged at 4.7% in June 2020. 

Monthly change of CCPI recorded at 0.8% was mainly due to price increases observed in the items of the Food category. Within the Food category, prices of vegetables and fish recorded increases in June 2020. 

However, it is noteworthy that price of coconut reported a significant decline during the month. Prices of items in the Non-Food category recorded marginal increases in June 2020.

The core inflation (Y-o-Y), which reflects the underlying inflation in the economy, increased to 3.1% in June 2020 from 2.9% in May 2020. 

The annual average core inflation declined further to its thirteen months low of 4.2% in June 2020 from 4.4% in May 2020.