12月份通货膨胀加剧，食品价格上涨推高生活成本

Core Insights - Inflation in Sri Lanka increased slightly in December 2025, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rising to 210.5, up 1.57% from November [1] - The rise in CPI was primarily driven by food prices, which increased by 1.55%, while non-food prices saw a minimal increase of 0.02% [1] Food Prices - Key food items contributing to the CPI increase included vegetables, green peppers, fresh fish, and onions, while prices for eggs, chicken, potatoes, dried chili, coconut oil, dried fish, chili powder, coconut, and rice flour saw smaller increases [1] - Some food items, such as lime, fresh fruits, sugar, ginger, and mung beans, experienced slight price declines [2] Non-Food Prices - Non-food price increases were modest, with dining, hotel, and medical services rising by 0.01% [2] - Other non-food categories, including housing, communication, education, and entertainment, remained stable, while furniture and alcohol prices saw slight decreases [2] Year-on-Year Inflation - Year-on-year inflation accelerated to 2.9% in December, up from 2.4% in November, with food inflation rising from 3.6% to 4.4%, indicating upward pressure on essential goods [2] - Non-food inflation increased slightly to 1.6% from 1.5% [2] Contribution to Inflation - Food prices contributed 2.0 percentage points to annual inflation, while non-food prices contributed 0.88 percentage points [3] - Within non-food categories, housing, water, electricity, and other fuels contributed 0.17%, education 0.21%, healthcare 0.11%, and dining and hotels 0.15%, while transportation and cultural entertainment saw price declines of -0.08% and -0.04%, respectively [3] Overall Economic Outlook - Despite relatively moderate inflation, the persistent rise in food prices indicates vulnerabilities in the market for essential goods [3] - December data suggests overall consumer prices remain stable, providing room for monetary and fiscal policy adjustments [3]