Colombia

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Colombia
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Colombia, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 29.5% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 35.9% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 34.6% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 55.3% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 72.6% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 82.5% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%), while 91.3% of new entrants complete a general or vocational programme within two years after the end of the theoritical programme (OECD average : 84.9%).
  • In 2023, Colombia allocated an average of 7.1% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 3.5% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 3042 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Colombia (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 3535 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 10.3% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 8.2% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 25.9% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 22.2% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • In Colombia, annual typical teaching hours were 955 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 840 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 96.2% of pre-primary teaching staff in Colombia (OECD average : 95.9%) and 50.7% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | Ministry of Education |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.9 %, rank 7/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (34.6 %, rank 6/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (29.5 %, rank 33/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35.5 %, rank 34/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.6 %, rank 35/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (25 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.9 %, rank 32/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (39.9 %, rank 34/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Colombia is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.1 %, rank 7/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Colombia is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.8 %, rank 8/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 55-64 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Colombia is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.7 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the smallest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.2 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment in early childhood education (ISCED 0) among 3- to 5-year-olds placed Colombia among the lowest across countries. (72.6 %, rank 30/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in ECEC (ISCED 01) was one of the lowest across participating countries. (13 %, rank 25/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (49.4 %, rank 42/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.7 %, rank 36/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55.3 %, rank 36/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (78 %, rank 38/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The average age of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Colombia is relatively low compared to the other countries. (15.9 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary programmes in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.6 %, rank 43/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.4 %, rank 41/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Colombia is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.2 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level in Colombia is relatively low compared to other participating countries. (16.4 Years, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (75 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the percentage of first-time master's graduates younger than 35 is relatively low. (56.5 %, rank 30/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the percentage of first-time doctorate graduates younger than 35 is relatively low. (20.1 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (54 %, rank 4/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.4 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.1 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.2 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of information and communication technologies in Colombia is relatively small. (1.2 %, rank 32/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Colombia is relatively small. (7.4 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in the humanities and arts is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (3.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (7.7 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low in Colombia. (4.4 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (55.4 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (64.7 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (38.1 %, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (68.2 %, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (82.5 %, rank 8/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (91.3 %, rank 3/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (62.2 %, rank 7/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    Colombia has one of the smallest proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in tertiary education among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.1 %, rank 42/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of international students entering tertiary education in Colombia is relatively low. (0.6 %, rank 33/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of international students entering bachelor's programmes is relatively low. (0.6 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of international students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Colombia is relatively small. (1.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.9 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, international or foreign students from Asia are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.8 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, international or foreign students from Europe are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.3 %, rank 32/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, international or foreign students from Oceania are least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 32/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, international or foreign students from Africa are the least represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 35/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of international students among the new entrants in master's programmes in Colombia is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.4 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 28/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.3 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.3 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (2 %, rank 39/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (1.7 %, rank 38/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.7 %, rank 41/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in master's programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.5 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in tertiary education among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.3 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in tertiary education among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.4 %, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.5 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 39/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3042 USD Equivalent, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3405 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per primary student is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3535 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per secondary student is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3479 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4284 USD Equivalent, rank 20/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education in Colombia is comparatively low. (3506 USD Equivalent, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on tertiary education in Colombia is comparatively low. (3042 USD Equivalent, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for core educational services on primary to tertiary education in Colombia is comparatively low. (3405 USD Equivalent, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the annual expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, is relatively low. (3506 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student in primary to tertiary education is one the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2882 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, public expenditure from initial source of funds on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education per student is relatively low. (4279 USD Equivalent, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Colombia has a total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student (primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education) comparatively low. (2968 USD Equivalent, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the public expenditure on public educational institutions per full-time equivalent student from primary to tertiary education is relatively low among OECD and partner countries. (4497 USD Equivalent, rank 40/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in total expenditure on primary to tertiary education in Colombia is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5646 USD Equivalent, rank 36/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2575 USD Equivalent, rank 38/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary general education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2874 USD Equivalent, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary vocational education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4046 USD Equivalent, rank 30/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Colombia, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies. (3.5 %, rank 31/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1.5 %, rank 32/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    The share of public expenditure on tertiary educational institutions is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.4 %, rank 42/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (7.1 %, rank 37/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, total public expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (3 %, rank 40/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Colombia, the share of current expenditure on primary through tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Colombia. (955 Hours, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Colombia. (840 Hours, rank 8/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year upper secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively high in Colombia. (840 Hours, rank 5/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The number of hours per year pre-primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively low in Colombia. (764 Hours, rank 28/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.7 %, rank 38/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (49 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.9 %, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41 %, rank 33/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (61.1 %, rank 34/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in general upper secondary education in Colombia is relatively small. (49 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially low in Colombia. (51.9 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Females under 30 represent a small proportion of teachers in upper secondary education in Colombia. (49.4 %, rank 38/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Colombia. (50.7 %, rank 36/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (28.6 %, rank 21/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (32.9 %, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of teachers aged 50 or more in post secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Colombia, compared to the other countries with available data. (21.7 %, rank 22/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    In Colombia, the change in statutory primary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively large. (142 Index, rank 3/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the change in statutory lower secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively large. (142 Index, rank 3/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    It takes lower secondary teachers less time to progress through the salary scale in Colombia compared to other OECD and partner countries. (9 Years, rank 33/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    Between 2015 and 2024, Colombia reported a decrease in the number of students enrolled in education. (90 Index, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Between 2015 and 2024, Colombia reported a decrease in the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers. (98 Index, rank 34/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.6 Ratio, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The number of students per teacher in primary schools is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner countries with available data. (22.2 Ratio, rank 2/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level is especially high. (22.6 Ratio, rank 3/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level is especially high. (23.1 Ratio, rank 2/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the number of students per teacher in private institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (7.5 Ratio, rank 18/18 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the number of students per teacher in independent private short-cycle tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (7.5 Ratio, rank 10/11 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes are particularly large in lower secondary schools. (27 Students, rank 6/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes are particularly large in primary schools. (22 Students, rank 9/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in public primary institutions are comparatively large in Colombia. (24 Students, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in Colombia. (29 Students, rank 5/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (81.2 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (66.3 %, rank 6/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (71.8 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Colombia. (68.5 %, rank 3/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (82.3 %, rank 32/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (72 %, rank 34/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (66.2 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (84.5 %, rank 39/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (82.8 %, rank 39/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (76.3 %, rank 35/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (74.3 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (86.1 %, rank 3/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (57.6 %, rank 37/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low. (75.4 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (57.9 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (57.2 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (41.7 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively low. (8.2 %, rank 31/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (10.2 %, rank 7/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (10.3 %, rank 3/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (8.4 %, rank 2/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is comparatively low in Colombia. (5.4 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively high in Colombia. (8.6 %, rank 4/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively high in Colombia. (11.7 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Colombia. (25.4 %, rank 33/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high in Colombia. (19.7 %, rank 9/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Colombia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (8.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (9.6 %, rank 38/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (7.3 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Colombia, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively low. (2.4 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of inactive youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Colombia is one of the largest among countries with available data. (16.5 %, rank 5/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Colombia is one of the largest among countries with available data. (25.9 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of men without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Colombia is relatively low (15.3 %, rank 31/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with tertiary education in Colombia is relatively high. (16.9 %, rank 4/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 25-29 year-olds in Colombia is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.2 %, rank 7/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 15-29 year-olds in Colombia is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.3 %, rank 3/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively large in Colombia. (25.9 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (17.1 %, rank 9/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old women neither employed nor in education or training is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (34.3 %, rank 3/37 , 2025) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Colombia
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Colombia
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			
            Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

    
        For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.