Colombo

Sri Lanka's inflation, measured by a year-on-year change in the Colombo Consumer Price Index, increased by 29.8 per cent in April, the country's central bank said on Friday.

This inflation was driven by the monthly increases in prices of both food and non-food categories.

Food inflation jumped by 46.6 per cent in April, while non-food inflation grew by 22 per cent in April, Xinhua news agency reported.

Prices of items in the non-food category recorded increases mainly due to price increases observed in sectors such as transport, water, electricity and gas, while prices of items in the food category increased due to hike in prices of milk powder, rice, bread, dal, sugar and dried fish during the month.

Sri Lanka recently hiked its interest rates in a bid to control its skyrocketing inflation amid a crippling economic crisis.