Health at a Glance 2025: Colombia
Table of contents
Health at a Glance provides a comprehensive set of indicators on population health and health system performance across OECD Members, Key Partners and accession candidate countries. These indicators cover health status, non-medical determinants and risk factors, access to and quality of healthcare, health spending and health system resources. Analysis draws from the latest comparable official national statistics and other sources.
This country note shows how Colombia compares to other OECD countries across a selection of key indicators from the report.
Colombia performs better than the OECD average on 4 out of 10 key indicators measuring health status and risk factors for health (missing data on 1 of these indicators).
Source: OECD Health Statistics 2025.
Health status
In Colombia, life expectancy was 77.5 years, 3.6 years below the OECD average.
Preventable mortality was 304 per 100 000 in Colombia (higher than the OECD average of 145); with treatable mortality at 115 per 100 000 (higher than the OECD average of 77).
Suicide rates were 6 per 100 000 population in Colombia, compared to the OECD average of 11 deaths per 100 000 population.
1.3% of people in Colombia rated their health as bad or very bad (OECD average 8.0%).
Risk factors for health
Daily smoking prevalence in Colombia, at 9.8%, was lower than the OECD average of 14.8%.
Alcohol consumption was lower than the OECD average; at 4.2 litres per capita in Colombia versus 8.5.
35% of adults in Colombia did not perform sufficient physical activity, higher than the OECD average of 30%.
No comparable data are available on self-reported obesity prevalence.
People in Colombia were exposed to 13.9 micrograms of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) per cubic metre (OECD average 11.2 micrograms).
See Health at a Glance 2025, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 for further details on these and related indicators.
Colombia performs better than the OECD average on 1 out of 10 key indicators measuring access to and quality of care (missing data on 7 of these indicators).
Note: AMI: Acute Myocardial Infarction. DDD: Defined Daily Dose.
Source: OECD Health Statistics 2025.
Access to care
In Colombia, 99% of the population is covered for a core set of services.
46% of people in Colombia were satisfied with the availability of quality healthcare (OECD average 64%).
No comparable data are available on financial coverage for healthcare.
No comparable data are available on unmet needs.
Quality of care
89% of eligible children were vaccinated against DTP in Colombia, lower than the OECD average.
No comparable data are available on mammography cancer screening.
No comparable data are available on antibiotic prescriptions.
No comparable data are available on avoidable admissions.
No comparable data are available on 30‑day mortality rates (unlinked).
See Health at a Glance 2025, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 for further details on these and related indicators.
Colombia has more resources than the OECD average on 0 out of 10 key indicators measuring health system resources (missing data on 3 of these indicators).
Note: CT: Computer Tomography; MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging; PET: Positron Emission Tomography.
Source: OECD Health Statistics 2025.
Health spending
Colombia spends $1 877 per capita on health, less than the OECD average of $5 967 (USD PPP).
This is equal to 8.1% of GDP, compared to 9.3% on average in the OECD.
No comparable data are available on share of spending on prevention in current health expenditure.
Health workforce
There are 2.5 practising doctors per 1 000 population in Colombia (OECD average 3.9); and 1.6 practising nurses (OECD average 9.2).
No comparable data are available on long-term care workers.
There are 18 pharmacists per 100 000 population in Colombia, compared to the OECD average of 86.
Hospitals and equipment
Colombia has 1.9 hospital beds per 1 000 population, less than the OECD average of 4.2.
There are 6 CT scanners, MRI units and PET scanners per million population in Colombia (OECD average 51).
No comparable data are available on the share of generics in the pharmaceutical market.
See Health at a Glance 2025, Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 for further details on these and related indicators.
Health at a Glance provides a comprehensive set of indicators on population health and health system performance across OECD Members, Key Partners and accession candidate countries. These indicators cover health status, non-medical determinants and risk factors, access to and quality of healthcare, health spending and health system resources. Analysis draws from the latest comparable official national statistics and other sources.
Alongside indicator-by-indicator analysis, an overview chapter summarises the comparative performance of countries and major trends. This edition also includes a thematic chapter on gender and health.
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
The full book is available in English: OECD (2025), Health at a Glance 2025, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/8f9e3f98-en.
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