Data at glance of Colombia - average on period

variable 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2007 2008-2009 2010-2019 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
real gdp growth 3.43 2.76 4.31 2.8 2.55 0.8 1.5 2.6 2.3 2.5
CPI % 23.72 20.16 6.14 3.25 3.75 11.7 6.6 5.1 5.9 5.2
Unemployment rate 7.51 7.96 13.09 11.25 9.82 10.0 9.1 8.0 9.0 10.0
Debt/GDP % - 29.62 39.34 35.95 46.85 55.4 61.0 59.9 60.9 61.3
Current account balance/GDP % -1.98 -1.66 -1.61 -2.45 -4.07 -2.3 -1.7 -2.4 -2.5 -2.6

Data derived from World Economic Outlook Database. To see main macroeconomic indicator in graphs click here

History

Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela. A decades-long conflict among government forces, paramilitaries, and antigovernment insurgent groups heavily funded by the drug trade -- principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- escalated during the 1990s. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization in the 2000s, new criminal groups arose that included some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final accord with the FARC in 2016 that called for its members to demobilize, disarm, and reincorporate into society and politics. The accord also committed the Colombian Government to create three new institutions to form a 'comprehensive system for truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition,' including a truth commission, a special unit to coordinate the search for those who disappeared during the conflict, and a 'Special Jurisdiction for Peace' to administer justice for conflict-related crimes. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug-trade-related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong and independent democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.

Environment

Area: 1,138,910 sq km km2

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower

Ethnic characteristics

Groups: Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Indigenous 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.)

Religions: Roman Catholic 63.6%, Protestant 17.2% (Evangelical 16.7%, Adventist 0.3%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.1%, other 0.3%, believer, 0.2%. agnostic 1%, atheist 1%, none 14.2%, unspecified 1.8% (2023 est.)

Government

Capital: Bogotá

Government type: presidential republic

Executive branch

Chief of state: President Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)

Head of government: President Gustavo Francisco PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)

Legislative branch

Description: Congress (Congreso) - bicameral

Economic Overview

prior to COVID-19, one of the most consistent growth economies; declining poverty; large stimulus package has mitigated economic fallout, but delayed key infrastructure investments; successful inflation management; sound flexible exchange rate regime; domestic economy suffers from lack of trade integration and infrastructure

Industries

textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds

GDP by sector: Agriculture: 9.3% (2024 est.), Industry: 23.1% (2024 est.), Services: 58.2% (2024 est.)

Trade

Export partners: USA 27%, Panama 9%, India 5%, China 5%, Netherlands 4% (2023)

Export commodities: crude petroleum, coal, gold, coffee, refined petroleum (2023)

Import partners: USA 26%, China 22%, Brazil 6%, Mexico 5%, Germany 4% (2023)

Import commodities: refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)

Geography

Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama

Defence

Military expenditure: 2024: 3.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Information derived from worldfactbook.io (Lupon Media), open successor to the CIA World Factbook. Data sourced from World Bank, IMF, UN and other international organizations.