The Colombo Consumer Price Index grew 0.8 percent to 203.4, after rising 3.0 percent in April 2026. The index is now higher than the crises period of 2022.
The food subindex rose 0.8 percent after rising 1.7 percent over the previous month.
Sri Lanka's exchange rate was sliding over 2025, amid current account surpluses, due to denied convertibility to private borrowers.
The rupee fell from 292 to 309 in February 2026, when Cyclone Ditwah led credit collapse allowed the central bank to buy more than 600 million dollars from market. This money was left unsterilized and exchange rate slumped as the central bank suddenly stopped honoring its bank notes, under a 'flexible exchange rate'.