Sri Lanka’s fuel market has undergone significant price movements during 2026, with a particularly sharp increase in March followed by a period of relative stabilisation and selective reductions. The latest data from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) shows that, as of 31 August 2026, Petrol 92 is priced at Rs.399 per litre, Petrol 95 at Rs.475, Lanka Auto Diesel at Rs.382 and Super Diesel at Rs.478.
The movements underline the importance of tracking fuel prices over time rather than looking only at the latest pump price.
A dramatic shift in March
Fuel prices changed sharply during March 2026. Petrol 92 increased from Rs.293 per litre on 1 March to Rs.398 by 22 March, an increase of Rs.105 or approximately 36%.
During the same period, Petrol 95 rose from Rs.340 to Rs.455, while Auto Diesel increased from Rs.281 to Rs.382. Super Diesel moved from Rs.329 to Rs.443, while kerosene increased from Rs.182 to Rs.255.
The subsequent months saw a more mixed pattern. Petrol 95 reached Rs.495 in May and remained at that level through June and early August before falling to Rs.475 at the end of August. Petrol 92 also moved down from Rs.434 in May to Rs.399 by August.
How prices have changed during 2026
The figures are based on CPC historical price records supplied for the LankaBIZ tracker and cross-checked against CPC’s published historical prices.
The changes demonstrate why fuel prices have become an important economic indicator for households, transport operators and businesses. Fuel costs feed into transportation, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture and the broader cost structure of the economy.
LankaBIZ introduces a dedicated Fuel Price Tracker
Against this backdrop, LankaBIZ has developed a dedicated Fuel Price Tracker to make Sri Lanka’s fuel-price history easier to monitor.
The tracker uses official Ceylon Petroleum Corporation data and provides both current prices and historical price revisions. Users can examine price movements across different periods, including one-year, three-year, five-year, ten-year and full historical views. (LankaBIZ)
The platform currently tracks key products including Petrol 95, Petrol 92, Auto Diesel, Super Diesel, Kerosene and Industrial Kerosene, with prices expressed in Sri Lankan rupees per litre. (LankaBIZ)
Importantly, the tracker is designed not simply as a display of today’s prices, but as a historical intelligence tool. Users can compare revisions, identify period highs and lows and examine how fuel prices have evolved over time.
From pump prices to economic intelligence
Fuel prices have particular significance in Sri Lanka because changes can affect household expenditure as well as the operating costs of businesses.
For investors and analysts, historical fuel-price data can also provide useful context when assessing companies exposed to transportation, logistics, tourism, manufacturing, construction and other fuel-intensive sectors.
The CPC itself describes the availability and cost of petroleum products as having significant importance to Sri Lanka’s overall economic development and energy security.
LankaBIZ’s Fuel Price Tracker therefore forms part of a broader move towards making economic and market data more accessible in a single platform.
Tracking the next move
With the latest CPC revision placing Petrol 92 at Rs.399, Petrol 95 at Rs.475, Auto Diesel at Rs.382 and Super Diesel at Rs.478, the August 2026 prices provide the latest benchmark in the historical series.
But the 2026 experience also demonstrates that today’s price can quickly become yesterday’s benchmark. The March surge and subsequent revisions show the value of maintaining a continuous historical record.
For motorists, businesses, researchers and investors seeking to understand Sri Lanka’s fuel-price cycle, the LankaBIZ Fuel Price Tracker provides a centralised way to follow those movements.
Track Sri Lanka’s fuel prices and historical revisions:
LankaBIZ Fuel Price Tracker
Source: Ceylon Petroleum Corporation historical fuel-price data; LankaBIZ Fuel Price Tracker. Prices quoted are CPC retail prices and may be subject to subsequent official revisions.
