Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia
Colombia: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) was 17.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia, 1986–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia stood at 17.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.7% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia peaked at 27.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1994.
Colombia ranks 57th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 20.4% | — |
| 1987 | 17.0% | -16.8% |
| 1991 | 16.1% | -5.0% |
| 1992 | 15.4% | -4.5% |
| 1994 | 13.4% | -13.3% |
| 1996 | 18.7% | +40.0% |
| 2001 | 27.6% | +47.6% |
| 2002 | 27.0% | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 25.3% | -6.1% |
| 2004 | 26.3% | +4.0% |
| 2005 | 22.6% | -14.1% |
| 2007 | 20.8% | -8.0% |
| 2008 | 21.7% | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 22.6% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 22.7% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 21.3% | -6.3% |
| 2012 | 20.1% | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 18.8% | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 18.3% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 17.3% | -5.2% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 19.5% | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 20.7% | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 27.0% | +30.6% |
| 2021 | 24.6% | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 21.0% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 19.4% | -7.7% |
| 2024 | 19.4% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | -9.7% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 17.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.5%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 17.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.1%, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) 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 | +47.6% | 18.7% | 27.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.7% | 17.0% | 20.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 13.4% | 18.7% | 4 |
| 2000s | 24.2% | 20.8% | 27.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 19.5% | 17.3% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.5% | 17.5% | 27.0% | 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 unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia?
- Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) in Colombia was 17.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 27.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1994.
- How does Colombia rank for unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24)?
- Colombia ranks 57th out of 160 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.