In 2022, approximately ***** percent of Colombians were living on less than **** U.S. dollars per day, down from **** percent of the country's population in the beginning of the decade. Moreover, it was recently found that the incidence rate of poverty in Colombia is higher in families whose heads of household were women.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) statistics by sub-national region in Colombia.

For more information on the measures, visit https://ophi.org.uk/multidimensional-poverty-index/databank/country-level/.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Colombia was reported at 33 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Colombia - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Historical dataset showing Colombia poverty rate by year from 1980 to 2023.

Since 2013, the multidimensional poverty index in Colombia has decreased considerably. As of 2024, it stood at 11.5 points, over 12 percentage points lower than at the beginning of the period under consideration. The index focuses on the following factors: educational conditions, conditions of childhood and youth, employment, health and housing conditions and public services.

Colombia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 29.300 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 30.500 % for 2021. Colombia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 31.800 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2022, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.900 % in 1980 and a record low of 28.200 % in 2017. Colombia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

As of 2022, around 36.6 percent of the population was considered under the national poverty line in Colombia. This represents around 10 percentage points more than the figure reported during 2018.

In 2023, more than 37% of the Colombian population belonging to a family whose household head was under 46 years old lived under conditions of poverty. Additionally, families whose household head was a woman had a higher incidence of poverty.

Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 38.300 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 29.400 % for 2019. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 39.950 % from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2020, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.400 % in 2001 and a record low of 28.100 % in 2017. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

5.0 (%) in 2014. Population below $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices.

Poverty ratio at $3.2 a day of Colombia surged by 14.41% from 11.1 % in 2018 to 12.7 % in 2019. Since the 5.93% slump in 2017, poverty ratio at $3.2 a day leapt by 14.41% in 2019. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 19.900 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 12.700 % for 2019. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 20.300 % from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2020, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.700 % in 2001 and a record low of 11.100 % in 2018. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Throughout the time frame displayed, the poverty rate in Colombia has followed an overall decrease reaching its highest margin in 2020 with a **** rate, probably due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, there was a decrease from the previous year of approximately *** percentage points, but still nowhere close to the pre-pandemic levels. Bogotá ranked as the fifth most populated metropolitan area in Latin America.

In 2023, the share of the indigenous population in Colombia living behind the poverty line reached 63.5 percent. This share has been continuously increasing in recent years, this being the first decrease by 2.6 since the beginning of the covered period. Overall, this South American country had the highest share of indigenous population living in poverty than other Latin America countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, or Mexico.

Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 36.600 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 39.700 % for 2021. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 38.150 % from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2022, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39.700 % in 2021 and a record low of 36.600 % in 2022. Colombia CO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.;;This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Between the years displayed, there has been a high increase in the extreme poverty rate in the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. Starting with a *** rate it grew exponentially almost by ** points reaching its topmost value in 2020 with **** percent.

Colombia CO: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data was reported at 0.065 NA in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.075 NA for 2020. Colombia CO: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.072 NA from Dec 2019 (Median) to 2021, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.075 NA in 2020 and a record low of 0.065 NA in 2021. Colombia CO: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Colombia – Table CO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

The report appraises the impact of economic development, or lack thereof, on the welfare of the Colombian population, and the poor in particular, over the last two decades, and, identifies priority areas for public policy action, vis-e-vis the most vulnerable groups. The welfare assessment covers three key areas - income, access to social services, and personal security, while it also compares welfare indicators between urban, and rural areas, and across other regional partitions. Questions are raised on the depths of poverty, and, on the Government's responsiveness to the incidence of poverty. Findings suggest that despite substantial long-term progress, a recent setback fostered an extreme urban poverty, and, although during the period social indicators reflect positive social development trends, homicide and domestic violence for the poor, and property crime for the non-poor have escalated to unprecedented rates, where the burden of crime is disproportionately borne by poor women. This violence disrupts the market economy, imposing a considerable psychological cost on those who are not directly victimized as well. Government actions nonetheless, show huge public expenditure efforts in social sectors, but with mixed results; therefore, the study addresses the imperative need for high economic growth to reverse poverty, through social programs prioritizing on childcare, health, and basic infrastructure. Likewise, an environment of increasing economic insecurity calls for valuable policy instruments, namely, safety-net programs, to enhance social protection.

Poverty gap at $5.5 a day of Colombia leapt by 8.57% from 10.5 % in 2018 to 11.4 % in 2019. Since the 4.59% downward trend in 2017, poverty gap at $5.5 a day jumped by 9.62% in 2019. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.

The global Multidimensional Poverty Index provides the only comprehensive measure available for non-income poverty, which has become a critical underpinning of the SDGs. The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures multidimensional poverty in over 100 developing countries, using internationally comparable datasets and is updated annually. The measure captures the acute deprivations that each person faces at the same time using information from 10 indicators, which are grouped into three equally weighted dimensions: health, education, and living standards. Critically, the MPI comprises variables that are already reported under the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), the Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and in some cases, national surveys.

The subnational multidimensional poverty data from the data tables are published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. For the details of the global MPI methodology, please see the latest Methodological Notes found here.