Colombia’s economy posted growth of 2.2% in the first quarter of 2026, remaining below the growth recorded in the same period of 2025, which was 2.5%. For many analysts, this is a clear manifestation of the slowing economy, an idea not shared by Piedad Urdinola, director of DANE, who presented the data this Friday.
“The annual growth rate reached 2.2% in its original series, 2.2% also in its seasonally adjusted series for this first quarter of the year, and what we are seeing is good performance compared to other quarters we have had in recent years,” said Urdinola.
In the recorded growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the boost from the public sector is evident. The branches of public administration and defense; compulsory social security affiliation plans; education; human health care; and social service activities grew 5.7%, thus contributing 0.9% to the total result.
Three activities were in negative territory
Among the areas included in public administration, what is driving growth is the expansion of defense personnel, increased salaries and higher bonus payments for uniformed personnel, as well as the hiring of community mothers from the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), who have now been formally employed.
Sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, together with vehicles, transportation, and accommodation, increased by 2.9%, explaining another 0.6% of the figure. The manufacturing industry expanded by 2.9%, contributing 0.3% to the total 2.2% in the quarter.
According to Urdinola, of the twelve activities that are part of the GDP measurement, three were in negative territory: mining (-0.1%), agriculture (-1.4%), and construction (-5.4%). Precisely, those three branches are among the most productive for an economy.
“Households are having enough to spend beyond survival, which mainly involves the purchase of food,” said Urdinola. She refers to the fact that Colombians are buying, as can be seen in shopping malls and sales outlets. In part, that boost could be coming from the minimum wage, although, little by little, as indexed increases are applied, it could diminish purchasing power.
Retail trade, in particular, which increased by 6.3%, was driven by implemented promotions, mainly in electronic and technological devices and television sales for the Soccer World Cup.
The agriculture sector also recorded a decline
In the manufacturing industry, the first-quarter GDP results reflect the manufacturing of motor vehicles and other vehicles, which was what grew the most: 27.8%. In contrast, the manufacturing of cardboard and paper contracted (-5.7%), as did the production of textile products.
In the sub-branch of manufacturing metallurgical products, the way gold shone in the economy is evident. Growth was 6.6%, contributing 0.5 points to the entire industrial result, which is explained because gold, when extracted, cannot be exported raw, but must go through an industrialization process, which is what is represented there, said Urdinola.
The agriculture sector also recorded a decline, explained by temporary agricultural crops; permanent agricultural crops; plant propagation (nursery activities, except forest nurseries); support activities for agriculture and livestock and post-harvest activities; mixed farming (agricultural and livestock) and ordinary and trap hunting; and related service activities grew 3.8%.
Permanent coffee cultivation decreased by 30.5%, livestock farming grew 6.4%, forestry and timber extraction grew 3.1%, and fishing and aquaculture decreased by 19.5%.
Regarding mining and quarrying, the extraction of coal and lignite decreased by 13.3%, the extraction of crude oil and natural gas and support activities for oil and natural gas extraction decreased by 2.7%, and the extraction of metal ores grew by 24.9%.