Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia
Colombia: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 8.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia stood at 8.3%.
That represents a change of down 13.8% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia peaked at 20.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 1993.
That places Colombia 55th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.1% | — |
| 1992 | 9.4% | -6.7% |
| 1993 | 7.8% | -17.4% |
| 1994 | 8.2% | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 8.7% | +5.7% |
| 1996 | 11.8% | +35.4% |
| 1997 | 12.1% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 15.0% | +23.6% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | +33.7% |
| 2000 | 20.5% | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 15.0% | -26.7% |
| 2002 | 14.5% | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 13.2% | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 13.7% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 11.1% | -19.4% |
| 2006 | 11.1% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 12.1% | +7.0% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -7.6% |
| 2011 | 10.3% | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 10.0% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 9.2% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 8.9% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 9.1% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 10.3% | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 16.0% | +55.5% |
| 2021 | 13.9% | -13.0% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | -24.2% |
| 2023 | 9.6% | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 8.3% | -13.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.5% | 7.8% | 20.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | 11.1% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.6% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 8.3% | 16.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More education data for Colombia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 190,940 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 234,939 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 963,182 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 937,684 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.85 million (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.14 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.08 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Colombia was 8.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 1993.
- How does Colombia rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Colombia ranks 55th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.