Inflation, as measured by the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index (CCPI) (2002=100), computed by the Department of Census and Statistics, increased to 5.8 per cent in September 2010, on a point-to-point basis as anticipated, from 5.0 per cent in August, reflecting mainly the lower base in the corresponding month of 2009. Meanwhile, the annual average inflation increased to 5.0 per cent in September from 4.5 per cent in the previous month, as a result of the price developments in the preceding twelve month period. Meanwhile, the core inflation, which measures the price movement of non-food and non-energy items of the CCPI basket, stabilized at 6.3 per cent on an annual average basis, for the fourth successive month, while increasing marginally on a point-to-point basis, to 5.7 per cent in September 2010 from 5.5 per cent in the previous month.
The contribution to the monthly increase of 1.0 per cent in the Index originated from price increases in the sub categories of Food and non-alcoholic beverages (1.7 per cent); Clothing and footwear (1.2 per cent); Health (0.4 per cent); Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (0.3 per cent); Recreation and culture (0.2 per cent); and Furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance (0.03 per cent). Meanwhile, prices in the sub categories of Transport, Communication, Education, and Miscellaneous goods and services remained unchanged during the month.
The original Press release by CBSL as a PDF Sri Lanka inflation Sep 2010
