16.03.202616:03:09UTC+00Colombia Industrial Output Drops 0.5%

Colombia’s industrial production fell 0.5% year-on-year in January 2026, a marginal improvement from the 0.6% decline recorded in December, but well below market expectations for a 0.2% increase. The downturn reflected broad-based weakness, with 22 of 39 industrial activities posting annual contractions, though this was slightly better than the 24 sectors that reported declines in the previous month.

The steepest drops were seen in basic chemicals (-10.4%), electrical equipment (-9.6%), beverage manufacturing (-2.4%), cocoa, chocolate and confectionery (-16.2%), and sugar and unrefined sugar cane (-10.9%).

In contrast, several segments recorded robust growth, including motor vehicles (66.9%), petroleum refining and fuel blending (6.6%), transport equipment (26.6%), apparel (8.0%), and pharmaceutical products (6.3%).

Elsewhere in the economy, retail sales fell 0.7%, while industrial employment edged up 0.1%.