This Survey was prepared in the Economics Department by Eduardo Olaberría and Christine de la Maisonneuve, under the supervision of Piritta Sorsa. Statistical research assistance was provided by Pedro Herrera with general administrative assistance provided by Raquel Páramo and Anthony Bolton. The Survey also benefitted from contributions at different stages by Dorothee Allain-Dupre, Bert Brys, Valerie Frey, Sarita Gomez, Laura Heras Recuero, Apolline Jaoui, Thomas Manfredi, Paul O’Brien and Anna Pons.

The Survey was discussed at a meeting of the Economic and Development Review Committee on 30 January 2017 and is published on the responsibility of the Secretary General of the OECD.

BASIC STATISTICS OF COLOMBIA, 2015
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)*

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

48.2

Population density per km2

42.2

(35.1)

 Under 15 (%)

26.7

(18.0)

Life expectancy (years)b

74.1

(80.5)

 Over 65 (%)

7.5

(16.3)

 Men

70.5

(77.8)

 Women

77.7

(83.1)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

1.2

(0.6)

Latest general election

June 2014

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

 In current prices (billion USD)

292

 Primary sector

6.9

(2.5)

 In current prices (billion COP)

801

 Industry including construction

31.9

(26.4)

 Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

4.6

(1.7)

 Services

61.2

(71.1)

 Per capita (000 USD PPP)

14.0

(40.1)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

37.4

(41.9)

Gross financial debt (2014)c

44.3

(115.9)

Revenue

34.3

(39.0)

Net financial debt (2014)c

33.8

(76.2)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate COP per USD

2744.51

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

1185.03

 Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

52.8

In per cent of GDP

 Food and live animals

14.2

 Exports of goods and services

14.7

(28.9)

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

9.6

 Imports of goods and services

24.2

(28.7)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

 Current account balance

-6.44

(0.1)

 Machinery and transport equipment

36.8

 Net international investment position

-43.9

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

18.6

 Manufactured goods

14.0

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

67.6

(66.2)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

9.2

(7.0)

 Men

79.9

(74.1)

 Youth (age 15-24, %)

17.7

(14.0)

 Women

55.9

(58.5)

 Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

0.6

(2.2)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

74.5

(71.3)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%)

21.6

(35.0)

Average hours worked per year

2 194

(1766)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP, 2014)c

0.2

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2014)

0.7

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2013)b

1.4

(9.5)

 Renewables (%, 2014)

23.5

(9.6)

Water abstractions per capita (m3, 2012)c

773

(819)

Fine particulate matter concentration (PM2.5, μg/m3, 2013)b

12.6

(14.0)

Municipal waste per capita (kilogrammes, 2012)c

186

(516)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient)a

0.522

(0.3)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%)a

27.8

(10.9)

 Reading

425

(493)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

 Mathematics

390

(490)

Health care, current expenditure (2014)

7.2

(9.0)

 Science

416

(493)

 Pensionsb

5.0

(9.1)

Share of women in parliament (%)

19.9

(28.6)

Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2012)a

4.5

(3.7)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

-0.34

0.38

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← a. 2012 for the OECD aggregate.

← b. 2013 for the OECD aggregate.

← c. 2014 for the OECD aggregate.

← * Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the Source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union,Unesco Institute for Statistics, International Labour Organization, DANE and Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público de Colombia.