Colombia Industry Employment
Employment in industry SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
Colombia's industry employment was 20.00% in 2025, ranked 105th globally. This represents a 0.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Colombia's industry employment stood at 20.00% in 2025, a decline of +0.02% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 19.97% by 2026. Colombia ranked 105th globally.
Colombia’s share of its labour force employed in industry stood at 20.00 percent in 2025, ranking it 105th globally, and it remains modestly above the Philippines (19.96 percent) and New Zealand (19.94 percent) while lagging slightly behind Brazil (20.21 percent). The indicator has trended downward since the mid‑1990s, when industry employment peaked at 25.14 percent in 1995, before falling to a historic low of 18.76 percent in 1999. Over the 35‑year series, the average has settled around the low‑mid‑20 percent range, reflecting structural shifts toward services and agriculture and the limited expansion of manufacturing capacity. The recent rebound to exactly 20 percent suggests a modest re‑orientation, possibly driven by renewed investment in petrochemical processing and export‑oriented manufacturing. Continued policy support for industrial diversification, infrastructure upgrades, and trade facilitation could sustain this upward momentum and prevent a return to the late‑1990s trough.
Data & projection
| Year | Industry Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 19.91% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 19.94% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 19.97% | - | - |
| 2025 | 20.00% | −0.02% | #105 |
| 2024 | 20.02% | +0.03% | #103 |
| 2023 | 19.99% | −0.34% | #101 |
| 2022 | 20.33% | +0.33% | #105 |
| 2021 | 20.01% | +0.19% | #105 |
| 2020 | 19.82% | −0.60% | #103 |
| 2019 | 20.42% | +0.32% | #110 |
| 2018 | 20.10% | +0.51% | #105 |
| 2017 | 19.59% | +0.22% | #96 |
| 2016 | 19.37% | −0.47% | #92 |
| 2015 | 19.84% | −0.24% | #97 |
| 2014 | 20.08% | +0.19% | #100 |
| 2013 | 19.89% | −1.07% | #99 |
| 2012 | 20.96% | −0.06% | #110 |
| 2011 | 21.02% | +0.71% | #108 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Colombia matched the Stagflation Risk pattern in 2023. Historically, 38% of countries showing this pattern (117 out of 307) saw industry employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Colombia's industry employment was 20.00% in 2025. Ranked 105th globally. This represents a 0.1% decrease from the previous year.
Colombia's industry employment peaked at 25.14% in 1995.
The lowest industry employment in Colombia was 18.76% in 1999.
Colombia ranks 105th globally in industry employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Colombia's industry employment is projected to reach 19.97% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The industry employment of Colombia in 2025 was 20.00%. This ranks 105th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_colombia_industry-employment,
title = {Colombia Industry Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/colombia/industry-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}