Traditional New Year Sweets Cost Up 7% for 2026, Verité Research Finds

Preparing a traditional 'kevili' table for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in 2026 will cost 7% more than in the previous year, according to an analysis by Verité Research published on its PublicFinance.lk platform. The study indicates that the average cost for a family's kevili table has risen from Rs. 5,414 in 2025 to Rs. 5,795 in 2026. This represents a 2.5-fold increase compared to 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation's economic crisis. The significant rise in expenditure is primarily attributed to the escalating prices of key ingredients, with coconut oil and rice flour accounting for nearly 80% of the 2026 increase. Overall, six out of eight common items used in the kevili table saw price hikes.