Employment in Colombia
Colombia: Employment was 23,827 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Employment in Colombia, 1975–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Colombia recorded 23,827 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 46 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Colombia peaked at 23,827 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2,147, in 1975.
That places Colombia 25th out of 174 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Employment in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 2,147 | — |
| 1976 | 2,318 | +8.0% |
| 1977 | 2,530 | +9.2% |
| 1978 | 2,751 | +8.8% |
| 1979 | 2,997 | +8.9% |
| 1980 | 3,202 | +6.9% |
| 1985 | 3,100 | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 3,248 | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 3,443 | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 3,572 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 3,668 | +2.7% |
| 1990 | 4,325 | +17.9% |
| 1991 | 4,857 | +12.3% |
| 1992 | 5,005 | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 5,288 | +5.7% |
| 1994 | 5,384 | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 5,465 | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 5,416 | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 5,658 | +4.5% |
| 1998 | 5,655 | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 5,641 | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 5,910 | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 16,114 | +172.7% |
| 2002 | 15,580 | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 16,258 | +4.3% |
| 2005 | 16,772 | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 16,895 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 16,929 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 17,280 | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 18,191 | +5.3% |
| 2010 | 18,575 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 19,210 | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 19,767 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 20,006 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 20,479 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 20,860 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 20,931 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 21,125 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 21,272 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 21,310 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 19,049 | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 20,741 | +8.9% |
| 2022 | 22,032 | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 22,788 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 23,036 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 23,827 | +3.4% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 23,827 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3,125, 7.6× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 23,827 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 2,099, 11.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employment in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +172.7% | 5,910 | 16,114 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,548 | 2,147 | 2,997 | 5 |
| 1980s | 3,372 | 3,100 | 3,668 | 6 |
| 1990s | 5,269 | 4,325 | 5,658 | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,548 | 5,910 | 18,191 | 9 |
| 2010s | 20,353 | 18,575 | 21,310 | 10 |
| 2020s | 21,912 | 19,049 | 23,827 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More work & labour data for Colombia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7218 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6981 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7453 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.81 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1417 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 48,629 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 6,104 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 23,624 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 23,456 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 47,081 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Colombia?
- Employment in Colombia was 23,827 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 23,827 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,147 in 1975.
- How does Colombia rank for employment?
- Colombia ranks 25th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 46 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).