18.08.202615:41:30UTC+00Colombia Economic Growth Picks Up in Q2

Colombia’s economy grew 3.5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, up from 2.2% in the previous quarter. The expansion was underpinned by robust public spending, which, while still strong, slowed slightly to 12.2% from 13.2%. Household consumption also firmed, rising 2.8% compared with 2.7% in the first quarter.

Growth momentum strengthened across several key sectors. Public administration, health, and defense activity accelerated to 10% from 5.6%, entertainment surged to 9.5% from 3.2%, financial services expanded 4.3% versus 2.8%, and utilities grew 4.8% compared with 2.6% previously.

Despite these gains, the outlook faces notable risks, including the recent earthquake—Colombia’s strongest in 50 years—and dry weather conditions linked to the El Niño phenomenon. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP rose 1.3%, more than doubling the 0.6% increase recorded in the prior quarter.