SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Colombia
Colombia: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 8.43 in 2025. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Colombia, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Colombia recorded 8.43 for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 12.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Colombia peaked at 20.52 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.43, in 2025.
That places Colombia 37th out of 179 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.52 | — |
| 2001 | 15.04 | -26.7% |
| 2002 | 14.48 | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 13.22 | -8.7% |
| 2004 | 12.74 | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 11.06 | -13.1% |
| 2007 | 10.25 | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 10.52 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 11.32 | +7.6% |
| 2010 | 11.15 | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.29 | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 9.96 | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 9.25 | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 8.8 | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 8.57 | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 8.92 | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 9.09 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 9.36 | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 10.28 | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 15.57 | +51.4% |
| 2021 | 13.9 | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 10.54 | -24.2% |
| 2023 | 9.59 | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 9.62 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 8.43 | -12.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.24 | 10.25 | 20.52 | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.57 | 8.57 | 11.15 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.27 | 8.43 | 15.57 | 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 sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Colombia?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Colombia was 8.43 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 20.52 in 2000.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.43 in 2025.
- How does Colombia rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- Colombia ranks 37th out of 179 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.