Sri Lanka’s food prices rose by a record 22.1 percent in December, official figures showed, as the country struggles to finance urgent imports to tackle an acute shortage of essentials.
The census and statistics department said food inflation hit an all-time high last month on a year-on-year basis since the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) was launched in 2013.
The price increases in December compared to a figure of 17.5 percent in November, the previous record, the department said.
It added that overall inflation was also at a record 12.01 percent in December, the highest since the CCPI index was launched.—AFP
