Colombia is a vibrant mosaic of natural beauty, cultural diversity, and a story of resilience. The nation’s commitment to overcoming historical challenges and fostering peace, as evidenced by the peace process, adds a layer of resilience and positive transformation to its image. Its reputation for warmth, hospitality, and culinary excellence further enhances its appeal on the global stage.
But what do the different rankings and indices say about Colombia’s attractiveness for businesses, investors, and visitors?
Let’s take a closer look at:
- Colombia’s soft power and brand strength
- Its appeal to talent, investors, and visitors
- The country’s global contribution to peace and well-being
- How well it fares in terms of happiness and sustainability
Colombia’s Soft Power and Brand Strength
In the Global Soft Power Index 2023 by Brand Finance, Colombia secured the 58th spot, slightly trailing Bulgaria (56th) and Azerbaijan (57th). It experienced a drop of ten positions from 2022, although its score increased by 4.3%.
In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, Colombia secures the 60th position, behind Bahrain (58th) and Kenya (59th). It does best in two key areas: heritage (40th), which assesses the level of cultural accessibility, rich history, great food, cultural and geographic attractions; and adventure (40th), which analyses the level of friendliness, good for tourism, scenic beauty, pleasant climate, and overall sexiness. Colombia’s ranking dropped eight positions from 2022, with the lowest scores in open for business factors and movers.
The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brand Index (NBI) calculates its ranking based on averaging the scores of six different factors: exports, governance, tourism, culture, people, and immigration. According to the NBI 2023 ranking, Colombia secures the 53rd position, a jump of one position from 2022.
Environmental Performance & Sustainability
The 2022 edition of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks Colombia 87th, tying with Kuwait. The EPI analyses the performance of 180 countries, scoring and ranking these countries on their environmental performance using the most recent year of data available, as well as providing calculable changes in scores over the previous decade. Colombia has experienced a change in score of negative 0.50.
The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks Colombia in the 76th position. It highlights that the country continues to experience some significant and major challenges, although the Climate Action goal is currently on track.
Colombia a “Good Country”?
In the CAF World Giving Index 2023, Colombia secured the 99th position, a drastic drop of 48 positions compared to last year’s ranking. It performs best in the subfactor of helping a stranger, where 66% of its adult population helped a stranger this past year.
In the Good Country Index, Colombia currently holds the 68th position overall, with notable subfactors as follows: Science & Technology (74th), Culture (133rd), International Peace & Security (126th), World Order (41st), Planet & Climate (63rd), Prosperity & Equality (42nd), and Health & Well-being (87th). It’s worth mentioning that in 2022, Colombia was ranked 54th, and in 2021, it held the 64th position; however, the World Order factor has shown growth.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, Colombia ranked in the light blue zone (6-7 range) with a 6.72 out of 10.
The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks Colombia 91st with a score of 39/100, tying with Belarus and Moldova. Its score has not changed since 2020.
Appeal to Talent, Trade, and Travel
The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Index 2019 edition placed Colombia at the 57th position among 141 countries. However, it’s important to note that an updated version of this report hasn’t been released in the past five years, and rankings may have shifted since then.
Colombia, classified as an upper-middle-income country within the Latin American and Caribbean regional group, currently holds the 72nd position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023. The country ranks highest in the Grow pillar (45th) and struggles most with the Retain pillar (86th).
The Expat Insider 2023 ranks Colombia in 17th position out of 53 countries. It does best in the following factors: Leisure Options (4th), Personal Finance (7th), and Local Friendliness (12th).
According to the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2023, FDI to Colombia grew by 82 per cent to $17 billion this past year. It is also a top host economy for renewable energy in the LAC region.
The Bloom Consulting biannual Country Brand Ranking Trade Edition 2022-2023 assesses investment-related variables, emphasising perceptions of a country’s trade-specific brand and evaluating branding performance. Regionally, Colombia maintained the 5th position, behind Canada (3rd) and Mexico (4th). Globally, it secured the 25th position, a drop of two positions since the previous year.
In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places Colombia at the 55th global position. Regionally, it continues to climb and now holds the 11th position. Colombia may have received lower tourism receipts but has continued to perform remarkably in D2 – Digital Demand ©, online performance, and social media presence.
In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, Colombia secured the 58th position, showing a slight shift from its 57th ranking in 2021. Currently, it sits just behind Mexico (56th) and Bulgaria (57th), while surpassing Botswana (59th) and Brazil (60th).
In terms of specific characteristics, Colombia’s economic performance increased by eight positions to the 37th spot in 2023. It holds the 61st position for government efficiency, dropping two positions from 2022. Lastly, it jumped one position to the 59th position for business efficiency and holds the 57th spot for infrastructure, a decrease of one position from 2022.
Peace and Happiness
The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks Colombia 140th, jumping two positions from the previous ranking. It is currently tied with Venezuela, sitting between Cameroon and Chad. Colombia falls under the low sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. Colombia positioned last regionally amongst fellow South American countries, led by Uruguay and Argentina.
The Institute for Economics & Peace similarly ranks Colombia within the very high impact (red) zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2022 Global Terrorism Index. It ranks 15th, sitting between the DRC (14th) and Egypt (16th).
Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2023, which displays the Ranking of Happiness based on a three-year average 2020–2022, ranks Colombia 72nd.
Last updated in November 2023. More country profiles here.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Colombia’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.
