Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) in Colombia
Colombia: Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) was 7.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment with basic education in Colombia, 2002–2025
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total labor force with basic education.
Analysis
Colombia recorded 7.2% for unemployment with basic education in 2025.
That represents a change of down 15.8% on the previous year and up 9.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with basic education in Colombia peaked at 14.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2016.
Colombia ranks 58th of 130 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 14.7% | — |
| 2003 | 12.9% | -12.3% |
| 2004 | 12.3% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | -16.4% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | -17.8% |
| 2008 | 8.6% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 9.7% | +12.0% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | -5.6% |
| 2011 | 8.1% | -11.2% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | -10.9% |
| 2014 | 6.9% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 6.6% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 6.5% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 6.7% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 8.0% | +18.5% |
| 2021 | 10.7% | +34.3% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -7.0% |
| 2023 | 8.8% | -11.5% |
| 2024 | 8.6% | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 7.2% | -15.8% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 7.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.7%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 7.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 5.1%, 1.4× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.0% | 8.5% | 14.7% | 7 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 6.5% | 9.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.1% | 7.2% | 10.7% | 5 |
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 unemployment with basic education in Colombia?
- Unemployment with basic education in Colombia was 7.2% in 2025, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with basic education recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment with basic education recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2016.
- How does Colombia rank for unemployment with basic education?
- Colombia ranks 58th out of 130 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment with basic education rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).