Latin America & Caribbean · OECD
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
38.6%
+25.0 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
10.3%
+0.8 pts since 2009
Healthcare · 2024
8.95%
+3.9 pts since 2009
Defence · 2024
1.07%
-0.6 pts since 2009
Education · 2024
3.86%
+0.4 pts since 2009
Debt interest · 2024
4.27%
+4.3 pts since 2009
Gross debt · 2025
59.9%
of GDP · +37 pts since 1996
Population · 2025
53.4m
49.2% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for Colombia yet.
Welfare rose from 9.5% to 12.1% of GDP between 2009 and 2015, then fell to 10.3% by 2024.
Healthcare fell from 5.0% to 4.6% of GDP between 2009 and 2012, then rose to 8.9% by 2024.
Defence fell from 1.6% to 1.1% of GDP between 2009 and 2024.
Education rose from 3.5% to 4.4% of GDP between 2009 and 2020, then fell to 3.9% by 2024.
Debt interest rose from 0.0% to 4.3% of GDP between 2009 and 2024.
Total spending rose from 13.6% to 40.7% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 38.6% by 2024.
Gross debt rose from 23.3% to 65.3% of GDP between 1996 and 2020, then fell to 59.9% by 2025.
Population grew from 35.8 million in 1995 to 53.4 million in 2025; the UN projects 59.4 million by 2050.