Geography
Natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, and more.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Colombia
North AmericaRegional Champion
Colombia tops North America for population. How does it compare to its neighbors?
Colombia tops North America for population. Neighbors look to it as a regional benchmark. How does it compare to its neighbors?
4.0, -72.0 - North America
Area
1.1M km²
Pop.
49.84M
Stats
170
Reality brief
Colombia is a country in North America with a population of 49.84M and an area of 1,141,748 km². Life expectancy is 77.7 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Satisfaction
7.9 pts#4globally
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Land Area
1.11M km²#26globally
Total land area in square kilometers, excluding lakes, rivers, and territorial waters.
Life Expectancy
77.7 years#71globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
University Enrollment Rate
59.29%#58globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Colombia
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Colombia.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Colombia
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Cali
Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia
Famous85/100
Open city guide
Bogotá
Bogota D.C., Colombia
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Medellín
Antioquia, Colombia
Famous85/100
Open city guide
Cartagena
Bolivar, Colombia
Famous78/100
Open city guide
Barranquilla
Atlantico, Colombia
Famous77/100
Open city guide
Bucaramanga
Santander Department, Colombia
Famous70/100
Open city guide
Manizales
Caldas Department, Colombia
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Pasto
Narino, Colombia
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Inequality (Gini)
53.9#1globallyTop stat
A measure of income inequality where 0 means everyone earns the same and 100 means one person has everything.
Homicide Rate
25.4 per 100k#2globallyTop stat
Intentional homicide deaths per 100,000 people, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Airports
662#11globallyTop stat
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
Forest Area
585.4K km²#13globallyTop stat
Total forest area in square kilometers, including natural and planted trees at least 5 meters tall.
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
174 per 100 people#17globallyTop stat
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Only ranks #37 in gender pay gap (%)
#370.59% of male wagesGender Pay Gap (%)
Women's earnings shortfall compared with men in the same wage decile, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Only ranks #37 in safety at night
#3747% feeling safe at nightSafety at Night
Share of people who feel safe walking alone at night, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Ranks #19 globally in land border length
#196.7K kmLand Border Length
Total length of land borders with neighboring countries from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Ranks #18 globally in highest elevation
#185.7K mHighest Elevation
Highest point elevation from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #17 globally in armed forces personnel
#17428.0KArmed Forces Personnel
Total armed forces personnel from the World Bank latest available country value.
Compared with the region
How Colombia Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Colombia
North America avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $21,508.78
- Region avg
- $38,271.63
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Colombia$21,508.78
North America$38,271.63
World$31,844.55
-32% below worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 77.7 years
- Region avg
- 75.5 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Colombia77.7 years
North America75.5 years
World73.7 years
+5% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.79
- Region avg
- 0.77
- World avg
- 0.74
Colombia0.79
North America0.77
World0.74
+6% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 77%
- Region avg
- 76.55%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Colombia77%
North America76.55%
World70.29%
+10% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Colombia
Country briefing
Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela.
Read the full Factbook note
Colombia was one of three countries that emerged after the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830 -- the others are Ecuador and Venezuela. A decades-long conflict among government forces, paramilitaries, and antigovernment insurgent groups heavily funded by the drug trade -- principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- escalated during the 1990s. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization in the 2000s, new criminal groups arose that included some former paramilitaries. After four years of formal peace negotiations, the Colombian Government signed a final accord with the FARC in 2016 that called for its members to demobilize, disarm, and reincorporate into society and politics. The accord also committed the Colombian Government to create three new institutions to form a 'comprehensive system for truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition,' including a truth commission, a special unit to coordinate the search for those who disappeared during the conflict, and a 'Special Jurisdiction for Peace' to administer justice for conflict-related crimes. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug-trade-related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong and independent democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama
- Climate
- tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands
- Terrain
- flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains (Llanos)
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower
- Natural Hazards
- highlands subject to volcanic eruptions; occasional earthquakes; periodic droughts volcanism: Galeras (4,276 m) is one of Colombia's most active volcanoes; it has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), 129 km (80 mi) west of Bogota, erupted in 1985, producing lahars (mudflows) that killed 23,000 people; the volcano last erupted in 1991; after 500 years of dormancy, Nevado del Huila reawakened in 2007 and has experienced frequent eruptions since then; other historically active volcanoes include Cumbal, Dona Juana, Nevado del Tolima, and Purace
- Size Comparison
- slightly less than twice the size of Texas
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Spanish (official) 98.9%, indigenous 1%, Portuguese 0.1%; 65 indigenous languages exist (2023 est.)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 63.6%, Protestant 17.2% (Evangelical 16.7%, Adventist 0.3%, other Protestant 0.2%), Jehovah's Witness 0.6%, Church of Jesus Christ 0.1%, other 0.3%, believer, 0.2%. agnostic 1%, atheist 1%, none 14.2%, unspecified 1.8% (2023 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Mestizo and White 87.6%, Afro-Colombian (includes Mulatto, Raizal, and Palenquero) 6.8%, Indigenous 4.3%, unspecified 1.4% (2018 est.)
- Major Cities
- 11.508 million BOGOTA (capital), 4.102 million Medellin, 2.864 million Cali, 2.349 million Barranquilla, 1.381 million Bucaramanga, 1.088 million Cartagena (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- presidential republic
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Capital Coordinates
- 4 36 N, 74 05 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Colombia
- Name Origin
- named after explorer Christopher COLUMBUS
- Independence
- 20 July 1810 (from Spain)
- National Symbols
- Andean condor
- National Anthem
- "Himno Nacional de la Republica de Colombia" (National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 9 (6 cultural, 2 natural, 1 mixed)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- prior to COVID-19, one of the most consistent growth economies; declining poverty; large stimulus package has mitigated economic fallout, but delayed key infrastructure investments; successful inflation management; sound flexible exchange rate regime; domestic economy suffers from lack of trade integration and infrastructure
- Industries
- textiles, food processing, oil, clothing and footwear, beverages, chemicals, cement; gold, coal, emeralds
- Agricultural Products
- sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, rice, plantains, potatoes, bananas, maize, chicken, avocados (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 27%, Panama 9%, India 5%, China 5%, Netherlands 4% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- crude petroleum, coal, gold, coffee, refined petroleum (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 26%, China 22%, Brazil 6%, Mexico 5%, Germany 4% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, aircraft, packaged medicine (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- Military Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Militares de Colombia): National Army (Ejercito Nacional), Colombian Aerospace Force (Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana, FAC), Colombian Navy (Armada de Colombia; includes Coast Guard); National Police of Colombia (Policia Nacional de Colombia, PNC) (2025)
- Military Service
- 18-24 years of age for compulsory (men) and voluntary (men and women) military (and police) service; conscript service obligation is 18 months or 12 months for those with a college degree; conscripted soldiers reportedly include regular soldiers (conscripts without a high school degree), drafted high school graduates (bachilleres), and rural (campesino) soldiers who serve in their home regions (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 34% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 62.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- combination of state-owned and privately owned broadcast media provide service; more than 500 radio stations and many national, regional, and local TV stations (2019)
- Space Program
- has a small program focused on acquiring satellites, particularly remote sensing (RS) satellites; operates satellites and produces nanosatellites; researches other space technologies, including astronautics, satellite navigation, and telecommunications; works with a variety of foreign space agencies or commercial space industries, including those of Denmark, India, Russia, Sweden, the US, and some members of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (2025)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Society & Equality5 statsBest: #1
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #11
Environment9 statsBest: #13
Forest Area
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Coverage (%)
Total CO2 Emissions
Irrigated Land
6.5K km²#49
Protected Land (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Electricity Access (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Technology3 statsBest: #17
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #17
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #18
Highest Elevation
5.7K m#18
Land Border Length
6.7K km#19
Coastline Length
3.2K km#39
Lowest Elevation
0 m#69
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #25
GDP (Nominal)
Unemployment Rate
Inflation Rate
Government Debt (% GDP)
Youth Unemployment Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
GDP Per Capita
Long-Term Unemployment
GDP Growth Rate
Employment Rate (%)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
Demographics12 statsBest: #26
Land Area
Population
Teen Birth Rate
Urban Population (%)
Elderly Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Birth Rate
Death Rate
Median Age
Youth Population (%)
Population Density
Dependency Ratio
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #26
Education & Future7 statsBest: #29
Energy1 statsBest: #49
Electric Generating Capacity
21.05M kW#49
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #69
Life Expectancy
Health Spending (% GDP)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Infant Mortality
Child Mortality
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Smoking Rate
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Colombia
#4 in Life Satisfaction
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Top 5% globally
7.9 pts
Frequently Asked Questions about Colombia
What is the population of Colombia?
Colombia has a population of 49.84M, ranking #31 globally by population.
What continent is Colombia in?
Colombia is located in North America. It has an area of 1,141,748 km².
What is the life expectancy in Colombia?
Life expectancy in Colombia is 77.7 years, ranking #71 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Colombia?
Colombia's GDP per capita (PPP) is $21,508.78, ranking #96 globally.
What is Colombia known for in global statistics?
Colombia ranks particularly high in Life Satisfaction (#4), Land Area (#26), Population (#31).
What is Colombia's Human Development Index?
Colombia has an HDI of 0.788, ranking #83 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Colombia?
Colombia has a population density of 47.2 people per km², ranking #154 globally.