Colombia Economy

Located in northern Colombia, the Atlántico department is one of 32 departments in the country. It is part of the Colombian Caribbean region, with the port city of Barranquilla as its capital. According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics, the population is estimated at 2.5m. In recent years, Atlántico has stood out for its...

Recent hydrocarbons discoveries have resulted in a renewed push for exploration in the Colombian Caribbean Region, as government and energy sector stakeholders set their eyes on a series of largely unexplored onshore and offshore blocks. Barranquilla, the capital of the Atlántico department, is well placed to serve as an energy hub for a...

Small businesses are the backbone of Colombia’s economy, but the recent economic slowdown has hit them particularly hard. As in many other countries, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face a range of challenges that are far less binding for larger firms that benefit from economies of scale.

After five decades of civil conflict between the state, FARC, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN) and other paramilitary groups, Colombia’s painstaking peace process achieved a breakthrough in 2016. Negotiations between government and FARC guerrilla representatives had been under way in Havana, Cuba, since...

Rapid economic growth in the decade leading up to 2012 saw Latin America’s middle class double in size, as more households moved out of poverty. Colombia was one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies during this period. The emergence of the region’s middle class has signalled important social progress and new investment opportunities....

Politically, economically and socially, Colombia may be at the most important turning point in its modern history. After 52 years of fighting, the landmark peace deal between the government and the armed militant group FARC, the country’s largest and well known guerrilla group, was concluded in late 2016.