Colombia — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Colombia, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Colombia was 8.29% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 20.52% in 2000. The lowest was 7.80% in 1993 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.58% per year.
Colombia ranks 55 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 29%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Colombia sits above it. It peaked in 2000 and has fallen 60% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 3%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 10 of 31 economies; Suriname (7.83%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 55% in 2020. That is 20% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1991 level: doubled by 2000.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.29% | -1.3 pp |
| 2024 | 9.62% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 9.59% | -1.0 pp |
| 2022 | 10.54% | -3.4 pp |
| 2021 | 13.9% | -2.1 pp |
| 2020 | 15.98% | +5.7 pp |
| 2019 | 10.28% | +0.9 pp |
| 2018 | 9.36% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 9.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 2016 | 8.92% | +0.4 pp |
| 2015 | 8.57% | -0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -0.4 pp |
| 2013 | 9.25% | -0.7 pp |
| 2012 | 9.96% | -0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 10.29% | -0.9 pp |
| 2010 | 11.15% | -0.9 pp |
| 2009 | 12.07% | +0.8 pp |
| 2008 | 11.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 11.2% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 11.09% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 11.06% | -2.7 pp |
| 2004 | 13.72% | +0.5 pp |
| 2003 | 13.22% | -1.3 pp |
| 2002 | 14.48% | -0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 15.04% | -5.5 pp |
| 2000 | 20.52% | +0.5 pp |
| 1999 | 20.06% | +5.1 pp |
| 1998 | 15% | +2.9 pp |
| 1997 | 12.14% | +0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 11.81% | +3.1 pp |
| 1995 | 8.72% | +0.5 pp |
| 1994 | 8.25% | +0.5 pp |
| 1993 | 7.8% | -1.6 pp |
| 1992 | 9.44% | -0.7 pp |
| 1991 | 10.12% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Colombia’s Unemployment in 1992?
9.44% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Colombia’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -18.1% in total — about 0.6% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 8.29%; 2024: 9.62%; 2023: 9.59%; 2022: 10.54%; 2021: 13.9%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.