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As in many emerging markets, deepening the banking system and boosting financial inclusion have presented challenges for the Colombian banking sector. Rapid improvements in – and the dissemination of – internet and mobile phone technology in recent years have led to increased take-up of mobile banking services. Policymakers see this channel as...

Although the Colombian economy has been affected by a slowdown in recent years, the country’s banking sector has remained resilient. The majority of the impact has been felt in the external sector, particularly due to changes in the foreign exchange rate. Meanwhile, lending growth remained relatively strong until mid-2016, when the combined...

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.

Following congressional approval of a landmark peace agreement, and a late-2016 tax reform package (see analysis), 2017 looks to be a year of significant promise for the Colombian economy. The country has been on the recovery since the 2014 collapse in oil prices, which predominantly affected exports, government revenues and the exchange rate...

Blessed with a rich cultural and natural heritage, Colombia is also strategically located at the crossroads of South and Central America, and is the only South American country with both Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Moreover, it is something of a contemporary paradox in that it has both a long tradition of democratic institutions and an abiding history of internal political...