Sri Lanka's inflation reached 21.5 percent in March 2022, compared with 5.1 percent of that a year earlier, data issued by the Department of Census and Statistics showed on Friday.

The inflation in February was 17.5 percent.

Higher prices in both food and non-food groups were the main reasons for the rise in inflation last month, the department said.

The year-on-year inflation of the food group grew to 29.5 percent in March from 24.7 percent in February.

The year-on-year inflation of the non-food group increased to 14.5 percent in March from 11.0 percent in February.

Inflation has been steadily rising in Sri Lanka following a foreign exchange crisis and the issues in the agricultural sector.