Sri Lanka’s cost of living crisis

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has seen headline inflation skyrocket, with food and fuel prices pushing staples like milk, rice, eggs and cooking oil out of reach for many ordinary families


Prices at FOSE Market, Colombo (July 12, Sri Lankan rupees)
Typical daily earnings: 2,900 rupees (€8)


Carrots 490 PER KG
Eggs 385 PER 10
Wheat flour 300 PER KG
Milk 272 PER LITRE
Rice 230 PER KG
Potatoes 220 PER KG
Onions 200 PER KG
Tomatoes 150 PER KG


National Consumer Price Index
(Year-on-year change, %)

Headline inflation
Food
Non-food

								80
11.0 			    22.1 24.7 29.5 45.1 57.4 80.4	60
6.8 			    12.1 17.5 21.5 33.8 39.1 54.6	40
3.2			    7.5 11.0 14.5 23.9 30.6 42.4	20
	Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun		0
     
 
Nov 2019: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa enacts tax cuts that shrink foreign reserves by around $2 billion, ending imports of fuel, food and medicines

Apr 3, 2022: Rajapaksa dissolves cabinet, which includes brother Basil Rajapaksa as finance minister. Elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa continues as prime minister

Apr 12: Country defaults on $51bn of foreign debt

May 9: Prime Minister Rajapaksa resigns amid mass protests

May 12: Five-time former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe reappointed

Jun 16: Energy minister announces fuel stocks will only last for five days. All petrol sales banned except for essential services
            
Jul 13: President Rajapaksa flees country with wife and bodyguards. Wickremesinghe named acting president
   

Sources: Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Business Today 
Pictures: Getty Images 
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