Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Colombia at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
77%
of electricity
Food imported
14%
of merchandise imports · ~US$9,692m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Colombia.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Colombia, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
Three million adults with diabetes
In 2024, about 3,033,800 Colombian adults had diabetes, 8.4% of the adult population.
SoberingHealth
Fewer than one in five have safe sanitation
In 2024, only 18.7% of Colombians used safely managed sanitation services.
SoberingFood
Heavy fertiliser use on farmland
Colombian farms applied 416 kg of fertiliser per hectare of arable land in 2024, according to FAO data published by the World Bank.
SoberingEnvironment
Coca and armed groups press on Chiribiquete
Since the 2016 peace agreement, armed dissident groups have expanded illegal roads, deforestation, cattle grazing and coca growing in the buffer zone of Chiribiquete National Park. IUCN rates its outlook as of significant concern.
RemarkableCulture
75,000 rock paintings, some from 20,000 BCE
Over 75,000 figures painted on the walls of 60 rock shelters in Chiribiquete date from as early as 20,000 BCE. Uncontacted peoples protected by the park still make them today.
RemarkableNature
A shark reservoir in the Pacific
Malpelo, 506 km off the coast, is the largest no fishing zone in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Aggregations of over 200 hammerhead sharks and over 1,000 silky sharks have been recorded there.
RemarkableEnvironment
Three quarters of power is renewable
Renewable sources produced 76.2% of Colombia's electricity in 2021.
The History of Colombia.
Colombia carries a rich living heritage. Cumbia, porro and vallenato belong to the Caribbean north, joropo is danced to the música llanera of the eastern plains, and Afro-Colombian communities of the South Pacific chant and dance the currulao to the palm-wood marimba.
Where the name comes from
The country is named after Christopher Columbus, according to Den Store Danske, the Danish national encyclopedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes it as the only American nation named for him.
The land itself: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, the high Andes, and the eastern Llanos plains. Its high point is Pico Cristóbal Colón, 5,730 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Seventy-five thousand paintings
Rock shelters on the Bogotá savanna hold some of the earliest dated human occupation in Colombia, with stone tools at El Abra dated to about 12,400 radiocarbon years ago. In the Amazon, Chiribiquete holds over 75,000 figures painted on the walls of 60 rock shelters, made from as early as 20,000 BCE and still painted today by the uncontacted peoples the park protects. San Agustín later produced hundreds of carved stone figures and burial mounds in the upper Magdalena region.
How it got here
Muisca gold, then Cartagena
Muisca goldworking peoples of the Cundinamarca and Boyacá highlands held a ceremony at Lake Guatavita in which gold and emeralds were thrown into the water, a rite traditionally linked to the El Dorado story. Tayrona communities built the stone terraces and paths of Ciudad Perdida, and their direct descendants still live in the Sierra Nevada. Spanish expeditions reached the coast from 1499, bringing three centuries of colonial rule, with Cartagena the principal port and a point of arrival for enslaved Africans. Independence was won at Boyacá in 1819. More than fifty years of armed conflict displaced millions before the 2016 peace accord.
The timeline
From 20,000 BCE
Chiribiquete.
More than 75,000 figures painted on the walls of 60 rock shelters in the Amazon, still being made today by the uncontacted peoples the park protects. Source
c. 12,400 radiocarbon years ago
El Abra and Tequendama.
Rock shelters on the Bogotá savanna hold some of the earliest dated human occupation in Colombia, with stone tools at El Abra dated to about 12,400 radiocarbon years ago. Source
c. 1st to 8th century AD
San Agustín.
Hundreds of carved stone figures and burial mounds in the upper Magdalena valley. Source
c. AD 600 to 1600
The Muisca.
Goldworking peoples of the highlands of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Their ceremony for a new chief of Guatavita, with gold and emeralds thrown into the lake, is traditionally linked to the El Dorado story. Source
c. 9th century to 17th century
Tayrona.
Terraces, paths and stairways at Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada, abandoned after a century of Spanish rule. The Kogui, Arhuaco and Kankuamo, direct descendants of the Tayrona, still live in the mountains. Source
1499 to 1810
Spanish rule.
The first Spanish expedition reaches the coast in 1499. Colonial rule follows from Santa Fe, today Bogotá, while enslaved Africans arrive through the port of Cartagena, until an uprising in Santa Fe deposes the viceroy in 1810. Source
1819
Independence at Boyaca.
Bolívar defeats the Spanish at the Battle of Boyacá on 7 August 1819, destroying the main Spanish force in New Granada, and three days later he enters Santa Fe, soon renamed Santa Fe de Bogotá. Source
1964 to 2016
Armed conflict.
More than fifty years of armed conflict displace millions of people. Source
2016
Peace accord.
A peace accord with the FARC ends a conflict that had run since 1964. A first version was rejected by referendum in October 2016, and a revised text was passed through Congress instead. Source
UNESCO World Heritage, Chiribiquete National Park · Museo del Oro, Banco de la República, Bogotá · Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia, Parque Arqueológico Teyuna · UNESCO World Heritage, San Agustín Archaeological Park · UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, Tayrona and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta · Banco de la República, Enciclopedia, Balsa muisca · Aceituno and others, Chungara, Revista de Antropología Chilena, 2015 · Library of Congress, Colombia, a Country Study, 2010 · Al Jazeera, Colombia's congress approves revised deal with FARC
Nature and Biodiversity in Colombia.
Colombia protects about 17.2% of its land and 41.1% of its territorial waters (World Bank, 2025) through a large national park system that includes the vast Serrania de Chiribiquete, the largest tropical rainforest national park in the world, and expanded marine reserves in the Pacific and around the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve. Enforcement is the weak point: Amazon deforestation surged after the 2016 peace agreement as armed groups, cattle ranching, coca and land grabbing pushed into former no-go areas, and several parks are effectively difficult to police. Coverage is solid on paper but undercut on the ground.
Is wild Colombia protected? 17.2% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Colombia?
Forest cover53.7%
Terrestrial protected area17.2%
Marine protected area41.1%
1266 listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters): Colombia · World Bank (IUCN data), Mammal, bird, fish and higher plant species threatened: Colombia · Convention on Biological Diversity, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3
Found only here. The critically endangered cotton-top tamarin, the yellow-eared parrot, now listed as Vulnerable, and a cluster of birds found only in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta such as the Santa Marta parakeet; more bird species than any other country, 1,873 on BirdLife's count, of which 95 are endemic.
The watchlist
ThreatenedBrown Spider Monkey (Ateles hybridus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedUrrao Antpitta (Grallaria fenwickorum) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedHawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedHammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedUribe Robber Frog (Pristimantis molybrignus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (amphibian).
ThreatenedWax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedPimelodus grosskopfii Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedCrocodylus intermedius Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (species).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Brown Spider Monkey (Ateles hybridus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Colombia. GBIF holds 20 verified occurrence records.
Urrao Antpitta (Grallaria fenwickorum)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Colombia. GBIF holds 45 verified occurrence records.
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Colombia. GBIF holds 25 verified occurrence records.
Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Colombia. GBIF holds 44 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Colombia filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Antioquia, mapped and named in the open record for Colombia. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Casanare, mapped and named in the open record for Colombia. OpenStreetMap.
Botanical garden in Bolívar, mapped and named in the open record for Colombia. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Colombia.
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions. Tap water is treated and generally safe in major cities such as Bogota and Medellin but should be treated with caution in rural and coastal areas.
Does Colombia have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
74.3% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: The paramo headwaters and remote Amazon, Orinoco and Choco rivers.
How much fresh water does Colombia have, per person?
41,459 m³
Colombia
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Colombia withdraws about 24,264 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 3.6% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 82%, homes and towns 14%, industry 4%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Colombia beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: Partial. Law 2232 of 2022 phases out single-use plastics nationally by 2030, with the first banned items from 2024, plus long-standing plastic-bag taxes..
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 17.1% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Isla Playa Sola, Playa Alta, Playa La Martina, Playa Larga, Playa Linda, Playa Rica. They are a handful of the many named beaches in the public record for Colombia, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
18.7%
of people have safely managed sanitation
18.7% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Colombia doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
No true seasons by temperature, regional rains instead; the Amazon and Pacific are always wet.
Nearshore
Protected water
41.1% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The paramo headwaters and remote Amazon, Orinoco and Choco rivers..
The record
Measured
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions.
Colombia scored 76 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, above the global average of 72, and ranked 49th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
41.1%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
1266
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in Colombia?
74.3% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 41,459 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 0 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 3.6% of what Colombia renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
Seaweed on the beaches. Colombia's Caribbean coast does get sargassum. Coralina, the environmental authority for San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, says the seaweed reaches the archipelago's shores every year, and it warned residents and visitors in March 2024 that rotting mats give off strong smells and should not be handled. On the mainland, the Ministry of Environment reported in May 2025 that sargassum covered more than 12 kilometres of beaches at Acandí, Playón and Playona and Unguía in Chocó, about 22,000 tonnes of it, threatening turtle nesting, fishing and tourism. National Parks staff collected more than 3 tonnes by hand.
When is the best time to visit Colombia? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does Colombia actually have?
Nature renews about 41,459 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Colombia 196 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 20 best-watered countries measured. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
FAO AQUASTAT · WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme · World Bank Open Data · Ocean Health Index, Colombia region page · Ocean Health Index, Global scores · Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, sargassum in Chocó, 5 May 2025 · Radio Nacional de Colombia, Sargazos en playas de San Andrés, 27 March 2024
Food and Drink in Colombia.
Colombia is strongly agricultural. Coffee has long been its leading legal cash and export crop, alongside exports of bananas, cut flowers and sugar, and by tonnage its farms grow mostly sugarcane, oil palm fruit, milk, rice, plantains, potatoes, bananas, maize, chicken and avocados.
Where does the food in Colombia come from?
13.8% imported
about US$9,692m a year
On the plate: Arepas and other maize dishes, rice, beans, plantain, cassava (yuca), potato, panela (unrefined cane sugar), and an exceptional range of tropical fruit, coffee.
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$9,692m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 13.7% of everything Colombia buys in from abroad is food, roughly 1 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 9.9% of the economy and 36.5% of the land is agricultural, of which 2.7% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Colombia? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined57.7%
Diabetes8.4%
We found no official national count. A 2024 study of 573 patients admitted with diabetic foot ulcers to the orthopaedics departments of two Bogotá hospitals found that 290 feet were amputated, at a major or minor level, within the first 30 days in hospital. Source: Foot and Ankle Surgery, 2024.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 59.7%.
Can Colombia feed itself?
2.7%
Arable land
36.5%
Agricultural land
3,836,567
Farmers
6,299,448
Arable acres
10.0%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Coffee has two harvests, a main crop around September to December and a smaller mitaca around April to June; fruit and vegetables crop year-round across the altitude zones.
Feeding itself
Colombia is strongly agricultural, the world's third-largest coffee producer and a major exporter of bananas, cut flowers, sugar, palm oil and tropical fruit, alongside big domestic crops of plantain, potato, cassava and maize. It does import cereals, notably maize and wheat for feed and milling, so it is not fully self-sufficient in staples.
Certification
Certified organic farmland is very low, around 0.1% of agricultural land (about 50,533 hectares) in the FiBL 2020 data, one of the smaller shares in Latin America. Colombia does have established organic export niches in coffee, cacao and bananas, and a growing domestic interest, but formal certified area remains marginal.
Water for crops
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 36.5% of the country is agricultural land and 2.7% is arable (2024, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
SugarcaneOil palm fruitRicePlantainsPotatoesBananasMaizeAvocados
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Colombia are sugarcane, oil palm fruit, rice, plantains and cooking bananas and bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Mercado Ambulante, Mercado Principal Chinácota, Mercado Publico de Sincelejo, Mercado municipal, Mercado viejo. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Restaurante Kaime, vegan restaurant in Medellín (El Poblado): global small and large plates for sharing, plus cakes; Helecho Vegan Sushi, vegan Japanese restaurant in Medellín (El Poblado): sushi rolls, ramen, curries and bao burgers; Coraje Vegan, vegan café in Medellín (El Poblado): dishes inspired by South American cooking; Vegan & Veggie, vegan café in Medellín (El Poblado): Colombian dishes made vegan, burgers and bowls, with cazuela stews at weekends. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Colombia?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
ArepasOther maize dishesRiceBeansPlantainPotato
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Veggies Abroad, Vegan restaurants in Medellín (updated June 2026) · Sánchez CA et al., Prediction model for lower limb amputation in hospitalized diabetic foot patients using classification and regression trees (Foot Ankle Surg 2024), PubMed · CIA World Factbook, Colombia, agricultural products (factbook.json archive) · Library of Congress, Colombia, a Country Study, 2010
Climate and Energy in Colombia.
Colombia draws about 80% of its electricity from low-carbon sources, led by hydropower at roughly 73%, with solar and wind growing steadily (Low Carbon Power, 2025). Emissions are among the lowest in Latin America at about 1.75 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2024 (Our World in Data). The government has submitted a 2050 net-zero target and, since 2022, has halted new oil and gas exploration contracts, suspended fracking pilots and set coal-fired power to close by 2036 (Climate Action Tracker). The main caveat is that Colombia remains a major coal exporter, shipping about 61 million tonnes in 2024, so its own clean grid sits alongside a large fossil export economy.
What powers Colombia?
Renewable 77%Fossil 23%
A large part of Colombia's power transmission network belongs to ISA (Interconexión Eléctrica), which also owns XM, the company that runs the national interconnected system and the wholesale power market. In August 2021 the state oil company Ecopetrol agreed to buy the Finance Ministry's entire 51.4 per cent stake in ISA at COP 25,000 a share, so the grid stayed under state control through Ecopetrol. Power producers' groups argued at the time that XM should be made fully independent of ISA, and Ecopetrol said XM's independence would be kept. The sector regulator is CREG, the Energy and Gas Regulation Commission.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
1.8 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
1.87 tonnes
The grid
Colombia draws about 80% of its electricity from low-carbon sources, led by hydropower at roughly 73%, with solar and wind growing steadily (Low Carbon Power, 2025). Emissions are among the lowest in Latin America at about 1.75 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2024 (Our World in Data).
Pollution
Colombia passed a national law in 2022 (Law 2232) to phase out single-use plastics by 2030, with the first tranche of banned items taking effect from 2024, and a national tax on plastic carrier bags has applied since 1 July 2017. Air quality is moderate, with a national mean PM2.5 of about 18.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 (World Bank), though the Aburra Valley around Medellin and Bogota suffer periodic pollution episodes trapped by the surrounding mountains.
Water stress
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.24.9%
2Industry Illegal alluvial gold mining that releases mercury into rivers, cattle ranching and coca-driven Amazon deforestation, and oil-palm expansion..named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.18.4
4On the record Colombia passed a national law in 2022 (Law 2232) to phase out single-use plastics by 2030, with the first tranche of banned items taking effect from 2024, and a national tax on plastic carrier bags has applied since 1 July 2017.
What has Colombia promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today75.1% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target17.2% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target41.1% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in law; in policy document; in political pledge. Measured against it, 75.1% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 24.9% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year1.8 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy3.48 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.58 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.46 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.07 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.64 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Colombia emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. On 29 September 2021 Colombia's Finance Ministry auctioned its first green TES, peso bonds maturing in 2031, raising COP 750 billion. Bids reached COP 2.3 trillion, 4.6 times the amount offered, and the green bonds priced slightly below ordinary 2031 bonds. The finance minister called it the second green sovereign placement in Latin America and the first in a local market and in pesos. Green TES issued in 2021 reached COP 1.5 trillion, and Environmental Finance named it sovereign green bond of the year in 2022.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · Ecopetrol, Ecopetrol signed purchase agreement for ISA, 11 August 2021 · Portafolio, XM, la batuta de Ecopetrol para liderar en el mercado eléctrico · El Heraldo, Bolsa de Valores de Colombia abre al alza tras compra de ISA por Ecopetrol · CREG, Comisión de Regulación de Energía y Gas · La República, Por primera vez el Ministerio de Hacienda subastó TES verdes por $750.000 millones, 29 September 2021 · Portafolio, Bonos verdes: Colombia ganó el premio al bono verde del año 2022, 31 March 2022
AI and Data Centres in Colombia.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Colombia.
Data centres
24
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
77.0 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Colombia?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 77%Fossil 23%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 75.1% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Colombia has 24 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Bogota (14), Barranquilla (3), Medellin (2), alongside 9 internet exchanges (NAP Colombia, Equinix Bogota, PIT - Colombia, Medellin, PIT - Colombia, Bogota). Named sites include Equinix BG1 - Bogota, Internexa Medellin Colombia, Internexa Cartagena Chambacu, Internexa Bogota World Business Port.
Where the cables land. 10 landing points · Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Cartagena, Parque Isla de Salamanca
Economy and Tourism in Colombia.
92% residents to 8% visitors across a year. 4,531,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 53,425,635 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Colombia
1,396k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Colombia?· for every $100 Colombia earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2020 peak
$ 65The worst year on the IMF record. Colombia owed $65 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2020signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 61What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 59The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $59 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Colombia earns in a year, it owes $61 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Colombia?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 4,531,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 53,425,635 residents, one visitor a year for every 12 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Colombia is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 13.7% of everything Colombia imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, oil palm fruit, rice, plantains, potatoes, bananas, maize, avocados, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
75.1% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power stay inside Colombia. This is not an economy where a visitor's money drains away, and the board is shorter for it.
most of it6
Pay the bank first
Colombia owes $61 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$61 per $1007
No plan B
50.7% of everything Colombia sells abroad is mineral fuels and oils (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
50.7% one export8
Community chest
Tourism earns 5.1% of everything Colombia makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
5.1% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Singapore a return economy seat is 3.48 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.48 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$540 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$540bnGDPUS$457.4bn
Agriculture, share of GDP10%
Visitors a year1,396,000
Visitors per resident0
Residents~53,425,635
Agriculture
Farming is 10% of the economy. Colombia is strongly agricultural, the world's third-largest coffee producer and a major exporter of bananas, cut flowers, sugar, palm oil and tropical fruit, alongside big domestic crops of plantain, potato, cassava and maize.
Natural materials
Colombia has strong living natural-fibre traditions. The sombrero vueltiao, woven from caña flecha fibre, is a national symbol still hand-made on the Caribbean savanna, while the Wayuu people weave their brightly patterned mochila bags and the Arhuaco make theirs from hand-spun sheep and agave (fique) wool.
Energy
Colombia draws about 80% of its electricity from low-carbon sources, led by hydropower at roughly 73%, with solar and wind growing steadily (Low Carbon Power, 2025). Emissions are among the lowest in Latin America at about 1.75 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2024 (Our World in Data).
Who owns the biggest hotels in Colombia?
By rooms · company records and press.
YAY Sustainable Restaurant Lodge · ~8 roomsIndependentnot published
Finca Cuipo · ~4 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20153,371k
20163,675k
20174,056k
20184,397k
20194,531k
20201,396k
International tourism receipts run at about US$1.96 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 5.1% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting Colombia, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking arepas and other maize dishes, rice, beans, plantain, cassava (yuca), potato, panela (unrefined cane sugar), and an exceptional range of tropical fruit; coffee. over imported menus.
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use The mountainous terrain makes domestic flights the practical way to cover distance; long-distance buses are extensive but slow, and Bogota (TransMilenio) and Medellin (metro and cable cars) have good urban transit.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
Swipe
First time here
The world's second-most biodiverse country pairs an Andes-to-Amazon spread of forests, paramos and two oceans with a largely hydro-powered grid, though rural water gaps, low organic uptake and Amazon deforestation temper the picture.
Best time: The drier months.
Getting around
The mountainous terrain makes domestic flights the practical way to cover distance; long-distance buses are extensive but slow, and Bogota (TransMilenio) and Medellin (metro and cable cars) have good urban transit.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is arepas and other maize dishes, rice, beans, plantain, cassava (yuca), potato, panela (unrefined cane sugar), and an exceptional range of tropical fruit; coffee.. Colombia offers one of the widest ranges of fruit and vegetables anywhere, from lulo, guanabana and granadilla to plantain, cassava, maize and beans, and staples such as the arepa, the bandeja base of rice and beans, and endless fresh juices are naturally plant-forward.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards in cities; COP. Altitude and coffee rules the rhythm.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the places to stay
YAY Sustainable Restaurant LodgeIndependent · 8 rooms
Finca CuipoIndependent · 4 rooms
None of the 2 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Colombia.
How well is Colombia actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Colombia scores 50 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
What is daily life in Colombia really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around The mountainous terrain makes domestic flights the practical way to cover distance; long-distance buses are extensive but slow, and Bogota (TransMilenio) and Medellin (metro and cable cars) have good urban transit.
95.3%
literacy. Public spending on education ran at 5.3% of GDP in 2020, the latest year UNESCO reports, and secondary enrolment stood at 101.6% gross in 2022 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
Made in Colombia.
Colombia has strong living natural-fibre traditions. The sombrero vueltiao, woven from caña flecha fibre, is a national symbol still hand-made on the Caribbean savanna, while the Wayuu people weave their brightly patterned mochila bags and the Arhuaco make theirs from hand-spun sheep and agave (fique) wool. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Colombia actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Colombia sells the world is mineral fuels and oils, 50.7% of all exports in 2023 (about US$25.25 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are pearls, gemstones and precious metals at 7.3%, coffee, tea and spices at 5.9%, live trees, plants and cut flowers at 4.2%, plastics at 3.1%.
Made now · natural materials
Woven from caña flecha fibre
Worked in Colombia from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Arhuaco make theirs from hand-spun sheep
Worked in Colombia from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Agave (fique) wool. Fique fibre
Worked in Colombia from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Panama-hat-style toquilla straw
Worked in Colombia from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 10.3% of imports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Colombia imported US$6.44 billion of machinery and mechanical appliances in 2023, 10.3% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 9.6% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Colombia imported US$6.04 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 9.6% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 7.6% of imports
Vehicles
Colombia imported US$4.80 billion of vehicles in 2023, 7.6% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 5.8% of imports
Pharmaceuticals
Colombia imported US$3.66 billion of pharmaceuticals in 2023, 5.8% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Colombia produces about US$457 billion a year, which is roughly US$8,562 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 9.9% of that, while food is 13.7% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in.
See the verified makersCulture in Colombia.
Cumbia
A living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
Vallenato
A living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
Porro
A living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
Joropo of the Llanos
A living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
CurrulaoA living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
Marimba music of the South PacificA living tradition of Colombia, still practised rather than archived.
Does Colombia protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Colombia carries one of the richest living heritages in the Americas. Coastal cumbia, vallenato and porro sit beside the joropo of the eastern plains and the Afro-Pacific currulao played on the marimba de chonta. Ancestral knowledge remains alive among the Kogi and Arhuaco of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose cosmology guides daily practice, and among the Wayuu of La Guajira.
Who it belongs to. Colombia has deep living Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures, from the Wayuu of La Guajira and the Arhuaco, Kogi and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to more than a hundred recognised peoples across the Amazon and Pacific. San Basilio de Palenque, founded by escaped enslaved Africans, was the first free town in the Americas, and its cultural space is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Community-based and Indigenous-led tourism is growing, with communities guiding visitors in the Sierra Nevada, the Amazon and the coffee region, though large-scale tourism in Cartagena and elsewhere remains mostly operator-led.
Only here. Cano Cristales in the Serrania de la Macarena, the liquid rainbow river whose bed blazes red, yellow and green from an aquatic plant found only in Colombia..
UNESCO · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Carnival of Barranquilla · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Traditional Vallenato music of the Greater Magdalena region · UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Marimba music, traditional chants and dances from the Colombia South Pacific region · UNESCO, nomination file for marimba music and traditional chants of the South Pacific · Colombia Travel (ProColombia), Torneo Internacional del Joropo
The Future of Colombia.
Three futures for Colombia, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Gold Museum (Bogota), National Museum of Colombia (Bogota), Modern Art Museum of Bogota (Bogota), Botero Museum (Bogota), Bolivarian Museum (Soledad). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: 21 Vueltas, ARTESANÍAS EL MAMAR, Acuavelez, Agrumaruc, Almacén El Cabuyal, Arreglo de Maletas.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 57.5% to 53.7% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 76.4% to 76.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 1.79 t to 1.8 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 1,433k to 1,396k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 23.1% to 17.2% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 19% to 14.2% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 10.2% to 41.1% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 40.1% to 36.5% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 71.8% to 78.8% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 29.9 µg/m³ to 18.4 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 59,908 m³ to 41,459 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 39.2% to 59.7% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 91.2% to 98.9% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 2,584 to 8,562 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 35,805k to 53,426k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 33.5% to 29.7% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 795 kg to 844 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 18.1% to 26.5% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 69.8 yrs to 77.9 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 2,644 kg/ha to 4,422 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 203 kg/ha to 416 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 28.2% to 21.2% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 20.3 $/m3 to 14.6 $/m3 across 22 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 5.64% to 8.14% across 24 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 638,366 km2 to 594,569 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 936 kWh to 1,636 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 61.21 to 74.18 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 5.12 to 7.32 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 12.48 to 23.8 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 61.97 to 113.78 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 3.27 to 9.78 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 12.95 to 14.72 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Colombia's record. Certified organic farmland is very low, around 0.1% of agricultural land (about 50,533 hectares) in the FiBL 2020 data, one of the smaller shares in Latin America.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Colombia's record. Colombia recovers only a modest share of its municipal waste, with most rubbish still going to landfill and national recycling rates commonly reported in the mid to high teens.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift water
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Colombia's record. Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest place…
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Colombia.
Who is in charge of Colombia now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Abelardo de la Espriella
President
Abelardo de la Espriella is the head of government of Colombia, in office since 7 August 2026. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 58.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 60.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 41.8 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 42.4 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 48.9 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 51.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 48.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 49.3 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 52.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 56.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Abelardo de la EspriellaPresident
Congress (Congreso)Legislature, bicameral
Last election8 March 2026
Constitution1991, as revised to 2015
Government typepresidential republic
Colombia national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
2050
Net zero
In Law<br>In Policy Document<br>In Political PledgeNet-zero target as recorded by Climate Watch. Status: In Law (12/22/2021)
In Policy Document (11/12/2021)
In Political Pledge (11/2/2021) Source
In Policy Document (11/12/2021)
In Political Pledge (11/2/2021) Source
Gases covered
All GHGs Covered Source
Sectors covered
All Sectors Source
International offsets
Unclear or Undecided Source
Plain Answers About Colombia.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
Swipe
Is Colombia sustainable?
Colombia scores 70 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. The world's second-most biodiverse country pairs an Andes-to-Amazon spread of forests, paramos and two oceans with a largely hydro-powered grid, though rural water gaps, low organic uptake and Amazon deforestation temper the picture.
Is the water in Colombia safe and plentiful?
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions. Tap water is treated and generally safe in major cities such as Bogota and Medellin but should be treated with caution in rural and coastal areas.
Can Colombia feed itself?
Colombia is strongly agricultural, the world's third-largest coffee producer and a major exporter of bananas, cut flowers, sugar, palm oil and tropical fruit, alongside big domestic crops of plantain, potato, cassava and maize. It does import cereals, notably maize and wheat for feed and milling, so it is not fully self-sufficient in staples.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Colombia?
Colombia offers one of the widest ranges of fruit and vegetables anywhere, from lulo, guanabana and granadilla to plantain, cassava, maize and beans, and staples such as the arepa, the bandeja base of rice and beans, and endless fresh juices are naturally plant-forward. Meat features heavily in the national diet, but unprocessed plant food is abundant, cheap and central to everyday eating. Bogota, Medellin and other cities have a fast-growing vegetarian and vegan scene.
How much of Colombia is actually protected?
Colombia protects about 17.2% of its land and 41.1% of its territorial waters (World Bank, 2025) through a large national park system that includes the vast Serrania de Chiribiquete, the largest tropical rainforest national park in the world, and expanded marine reserves in the Pacific and around the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve. Enforcement is the weak point: Amazon deforestation surged after the 2016 peace agreement as armed groups, cattle ranching, coca and land grabbing pushed into former no-go areas, and several parks are effectively difficult to police. Coverage is solid on paper but undercut on the ground.
What wildlife is left in Colombia?
Colombia is the second-most biodiverse country on Earth and the single richest for birds, with more than 1,900 recorded species, as well as world-leading numbers of amphibians, orchids and butterflies. Endemism is exceptional, from the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin and the yellow-eared parrot, downlisted to Vulnerable in 2020 after its recovery, to a cluster of species found only in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The range of habitats, Amazon, Andes, paramo, Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Orinoco plains and cloud forest, is almost unmatched.
Is Colombia on clean energy?
Colombia draws about 80% of its electricity from low-carbon sources, led by hydropower at roughly 73%, with solar and wind growing steadily (Low Carbon Power, 2025). Emissions are among the lowest in Latin America at about 1.75 tonnes of CO2 per person in 2024 (Our World in Data). The government has submitted a 2050 net-zero target and, since 2022, has halted new oil and gas exploration contracts, suspended fracking pilots and set coal-fired power to close by 2036 (Climate Action Tracker).
How polluted is Colombia?
Colombia passed a national law in 2022 (Law 2232) to phase out single-use plastics by 2030, with the first tranche of banned items taking effect from 2024, and a national tax on plastic carrier bags has applied since 1 July 2017. Air quality is moderate, with a national mean PM2.5 of about 18.4 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023 (World Bank), though the Aburra Valley around Medellin and Bogota suffer periodic pollution episodes trapped by the surrounding mountains. Litter and untreated waste remain problems in many areas.
Does recycling work in Colombia?
Colombia recovers only a modest share of its municipal waste, with most rubbish still going to landfill and national recycling rates commonly reported in the mid to high teens. A large informal workforce of recicladores collects and sorts much of what is recovered, and a 2016 Constitutional Court framework and later decrees have begun to formalise and pay them for the service. Kerbside separation is patchy and infrastructure is still developing.
Is the farming in Colombia organic?
Certified organic farmland is very low, around 0.1% of agricultural land (about 50,533 hectares) in the FiBL 2020 data, one of the smaller shares in Latin America. Colombia does have established organic export niches in coffee, cacao and bananas, and a growing domestic interest, but formal certified area remains marginal. Much smallholder farming is low-input without being certified.
Are there natural materials and craft in Colombia?
Colombia has strong living natural-fibre traditions. The sombrero vueltiao, woven from caña flecha fibre, is a national symbol still hand-made on the Caribbean savanna, while the Wayuu people weave their brightly patterned mochila bags and the Arhuaco make theirs from hand-spun sheep and agave (fique) wool. Fique fibre, Panama-hat-style toquilla straw and basketry remain everyday crafts.
Is there living culture in Colombia?
Colombia has deep living Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures, from the Wayuu of La Guajira and the Arhuaco, Kogi and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to more than a hundred recognised peoples across the Amazon and Pacific. San Basilio de Palenque, founded by escaped enslaved Africans, was the first free town in the Americas, and its cultural space is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Community-based and Indigenous-led tourism is growing, with communities guiding visitors in the Sierra Nevada, the Amazon and the coffee region, though large-scale tourism in Cartagena and elsewhere remains mostly operator-led.
What heritage does Colombia keep alive?
Colombia carries one of the richest living heritages in the Americas. Coastal cumbia, vallenato and porro sit beside the joropo of the eastern plains and the Afro-Pacific currulao played on the marimba de chonta. Ancestral knowledge remains alive among the Kogi and Arhuaco of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose cosmology guides daily practice, and among the Wayuu of La Guajira.
So is Colombia actually green? The measured answer
What is working: sea protected at 41.1%, renewable electricity at 75.1%.
What is not: the gaps are narrower here than in most of the directory, and each remaining one is named below.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · World Bank, Population, total: Colombia · CIA World Factbook, Colombia, geography (factbook.json archive) · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area): Colombia · World Bank, Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output): Colombia · World Bank, Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions excluding LULUCF per capita: Colombia · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases (% of total): Colombia
How Colombia Ranks, region and world.
Where Colombia sits on the Eco Index, against its South America neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Colombia compare in South America?
1Brazil73
2Peru72
4Ecuador70
5Chile67
Scored South America destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Colombia sits 18 of 77 at 70/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Colombia particularly good at?
✓ Wildlife, scored 5/5. Colombia is the second-most biodiverse country on Earth and the single richest for birds, with more than 1,900 recorded species, as well as world-leading numbers of amphibians, orchids and butterflies. Endemism is exceptional, from the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin and the yellow-eared parrot, downlisted to Vulnerable in 2020 after its recovery, to a cluster of species found only in the isolated Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The range of habitats, Amazon, Andes, paramo, Pacific and Caribbean coasts, Orinoco plains and cloud forest, is almost unmatched. This is a genuine global biodiversity hotspot.
✓ Culture, scored 5/5. Colombia has deep living Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultures, from the Wayuu of La Guajira and the Arhuaco, Kogi and Wiwa of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to more than a hundred recognised peoples across the Amazon and Pacific. San Basilio de Palenque, founded by escaped enslaved Africans, was the first free town in the Americas, and its cultural space is inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Community-based and Indigenous-led tourism is growing, with communities guiding visitors in the Sierra Nevada, the Amazon and the coffee region, though large-scale tourism in Cartagena and elsewhere remains mostly operator-led.
✓ Heritage, scored 5/5. Colombia carries one of the richest living heritages in the Americas. Coastal cumbia, vallenato and porro sit beside the joropo of the eastern plains and the Afro-Pacific currulao played on the marimba de chonta. Ancestral knowledge remains alive among the Kogi and Arhuaco of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose cosmology guides daily practice, and among the Wayuu of La Guajira. Afro-Colombian and Amazonian indigenous communities keep their own music, dance and spiritual traditions in continuous practice.
Where does Colombia score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. Certified organic farmland is very low, around 0.1% of agricultural land (about 50,533 hectares) in the FiBL 2020 data, one of the smaller shares in Latin America. Colombia does have established organic export niches in coffee, cacao and bananas, and a growing domestic interest, but formal certified area remains marginal. Much smallholder farming is low-input without being certified.
✕ Recycling, scored 2/5. Colombia recovers only a modest share of its municipal waste, with most rubbish still going to landfill and national recycling rates commonly reported in the mid to high teens. A large informal workforce of recicladores collects and sorts much of what is recovered, and a 2016 Constitutional Court framework and later decrees have begun to formalise and pay them for the service. Kerbside separation is patchy and infrastructure is still developing.
✕ Water, scored 3/5. Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet. Supply is not the problem, but access and safety are uneven: WHO/UNICEF JMP data put safely managed drinking water at only about 73.9% of the population in 2022 (World Bank), reflecting gaps in rural, Pacific and conflict-affected regions. Tap water is treated and generally safe in major cities such as Bogota and Medellin but should be treated with caution in rural and coastal areas. Abundant freshwater is undercut by patchy delivery.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
Certified organic farmland is very low, around 0.1% of agricultural land (about 50,533 hectares) in the FiBL 2020 data, one of the smaller shares in Latin America.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Colombia's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Recycling, 2/5
Colombia recovers only a modest share of its municipal waste, with most rubbish still going to landfill and national recycling rates commonly reported in the mid to high teens.
Water, 3/5
Colombia is one of the most water-abundant countries on Earth, fed by heavy rainfall, the high-altitude paramos that act as natural water factories, the Andean river network and the vast Amazon and Orinoco basins, with the Pacific Choco among the wettest places on the planet.
The Colombia Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Colombia, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Colombia
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
53.7
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
17.2
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
41.1
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
76.2
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
1.8
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
1266
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
41.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
50.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
48.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
48.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
58.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
48.8 / 100 · 48 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 48 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
53.2 / 100 · 38 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 38 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
62.9 / 100 · 18 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 18 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
47.8 / 100 · 66 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 66 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
85.8 / 100 · 38 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 38 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
50.6 / 100 · 13 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 13 of 111 countries assessed.
How Colombia Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 87 sources across 37 institutions
World Bank17 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, Colombia, 2023 (52.8%) check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, Colombia, 2025 (17.2%) check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, Colombia, 2025 (41.1%) check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, Colombia, 2021 (75.1%) check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS, 2024 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
- What a Waste 2.0 country-level dataset check
GBIF occurrence search10 FIGURES
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves corroboration check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, order Testudines, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Amphibia, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (amphibian). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- Colombia, IUCN category Critically Endangered, all taxa, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Colombia in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible6 FIGURES
- official text of Ley 2232 de 7 de julio de 2022, Law 2232 of 2022 phases out single-use plastics nationally by 2030, with the first banned items from 2024, plu check
- official text of Ley 2232 de 7 de julio de 2022 corroboration check
- official text of Ley 2232 de 7 de julio de 2022 corroboration check
- Colombia, el segundo pais mas biodiverso del mundo, The world's second-most biodiverse country pairs an Andes-to-Amazon spread of forests, paramos and two oceans check
- Colombia, el segundo pais mas biodiverso del mundo corroboration check
- Colombia, el segundo pais mas biodiverso del mundo corroboration check
FAO5 FIGURES
- FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products (QCL), bulk data file for the Americas, Colombia is strongly agricultural, the world's third-largest coffee producer and a major exporter of bananas check
- FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products (QCL), bulk data file for the Americas corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products (QCL), bulk data file for the Americas corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products (QCL), bulk data file for the Americas corroboration check
- FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products (QCL), bulk data file for the Americas corroboration check
Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia4 FIGURES
- press release on Cano Cristales, Cano Cristales in the Serrania de la Macarena, the liquid rainbow river whose bed blazes red, yellow and green check
- press release on Cano Cristales corroboration check
- press release on Cano Cristales corroboration check
- press release on Cano Cristales corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Colombia, 2025 (61.6%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Colombia, 2025 (59.3%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Colombia, 2025 (54.8%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Colombia, 2025 (53.6%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Colombia, 2025 (40.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Colombia, 2025 (21.0%), country-reported check
Fundacion Starlight3 FIGURES
- official list of certified Starlight Tourist Destinations, No Colombian site is IDA-certified; certified dark-sky destinations instead come from the Fundacion Starlight check
- official list of certified Starlight Tourist Destinations corroboration check
- official list of certified Starlight Tourist Destinations corroboration check
Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia3 FIGURES
- Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, Espacio cultural de San Basilio de Palenque, San Basilio de Palenque, founded by escaped enslaved Africans, was the first free town in the Americas, and it check
- Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, Espacio cultural de San Basilio de Palenque corroboration check
- Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, Espacio cultural de San Basilio de Palenque corroboration check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme3 FIGURES
- World Bank, People using safely managed drinking water services SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, Colombia, 2022 (73.9%) check
- UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed drinking water (%) SH_H2O_SAFE, Colombia, 2024 (74.3%), modelled estimate check
- UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed sanitation (%) SH_SAN_SAFE, Colombia, 2024 (18.7%), modelled estimate check
IUCN2 FIGURES
Our World in Data2 FIGURES
UNESCO World Heritage Centre2 FIGURES
1.75 tonnes per person in 20241 FIGURE
- matching the figure used elsewhere on the page check
111 GBIF records1 FIGURE
- all in Colombia, but spread across Meta, Guaviare and Guainia, not only the Macarena check
60.7 Mt in 20241 FIGURE
- roughly seventh, behind Indonesia, Australia, Russia, the USA, Mongolia and South Africa check
A national consumption tax on carrier bags1 FIGURE
- Estatuto Tributario art. 512-15, added by Ley 1819 de 2016, in force from 1 July 2017 check
BirdLife International1 FIGURE
- Data Zone country factsheet, Colombia birds check
Climate Action Tracker1 FIGURE
- Colombia policies and action, 2024 check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Colombia Congress1 FIGURE
- Law 2232 of 2022 on the reduction of single-use plastics check
Colombia leads on total species (11 FIGURE
- 873) but has 95 endemics against Indonesia's 526 check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Colombia 1991 (rev. 2015) check
DANE1 FIGURE
- Colombia, national statistical authority check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture (Colombia about 50,533 ha, 0.1% of agricultural land, 2020 data) check
IDEAM1 FIGURE
- Colombia, national environmental authority check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Colombia, 2023 (27.7%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Colombia elections and chambers check
Instituto Humboldt1 FIGURE
- Colombia, national environmental authority check
Low Carbon Power1 FIGURE
- Colombia electricity mix, 2025 check
UIS holds that share only for 1998 and 1999 (13.15% in 1999)1 FIGURE
- so it is dropped; 5.3% is 2020 and 101.6% is 2022 check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNEP Global E-waste Monitor1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, electronic waste recycled (%) EN_EWT_RCYR, Colombia, 2021 (2.3%), modelled estimate check
UNESCO1 FIGURE
- Cultural Space of Palenque de San Basilio check
World Bank / GBD-IHME1 FIGURE
- PM2.5 air pollution mean annual exposure EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, Colombia, 2023 (18.4 µg/m³) check
World Bank / IUCN Red List1 FIGURE
- threatened species by group, Colombia, 2022 (mammals 63, birds 102, fish 183, higher plants 918; combined 1,266) check
Yellow-eared parrot is Vulnerable1 FIGURE
- assessed 2020 (BirdLife International for the IUCN Red List) check