Colombia

International investors are looking at Colombia with growing confidence thanks to several political and economic improvements. Colombia’s economy has registered an average 4.3% GDP growth rate and 2.7% GDP per capita growth rate since 2000, according to World Bank figures. This has resulted in a growing middle class and a decrease in the percentage of the population...

Unlike other Latin American markets, Colombia’s banking sector is led by local financial groups. The three largest are Bancolombia, Grupo Aval and Davivienda, which control almost 64% of all loans (see overview).

Economic growth, improving security and macroeconomic stability in the past decade have helped the Colombian banking sector expand. An expanding middle class in need of financial services has also seen banking penetration rise, while financial products such as credit cards and mortgages have shown double-digit growth rates during recent years.

In January 2012 the government of President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón issued Law 1508 on publicprivate partnerships (PPPs), better known as the PPP law. More than two years later, the results of the muchtrumpeted announcement have yet to match the fanfare surrounding their launch. The promotion of PPPs could contribute to the development of infrastructure, which is “an...