Country profile

Colombia

Latin America & Caribbean Upper middle income52.89M inhabitants

Last updated April 1, 2026

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Composite GEFRI Score

Emerging readiness

Colombia demonstrates early-stage readiness (59th percentile worldwide). Investments are generating initial gains, yet substantial gaps persist in several dimensions. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

55.23Composite score
Global percentile
59th
Global rank
#73
Regional rank
#5
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
71.34
64th percentileGlobal avg. 59.93
Human Capital
55.94
69th percentileGlobal avg. 47.03
Innovation
35.92
40th percentileGlobal avg. 42.53
Governance
50.38
59th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
62.60
63rd percentileGlobal avg. 43.89

Country profile

Colombia performs close to the global average across all GEFRI dimensions. Progress is evident, yet stronger ambition is needed to reach futures readiness among global peers.

Uneven scores across dimensions highlight areas that need targeted coordination.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Governance effectiveness is below global norms, affecting the stability of education reforms. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

Innovation presents a near-term leapfrog opportunity: performance is just below the global average, backed by enough observed data to support forward planning. Regionally, Colombia leads most clearly in School Access and Gender Parity, sitting well above the peer average.

Note: Several indicators use imputed values. Policymakers and planners should validate results further before committing to major initiatives.

Key insights

  • Places 73rd worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 5th within Latin America & Caribbean .
  • Scores range from Infrastructure (71.3) to Innovation (35.9), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: Latin America & Caribbean

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
321Chile69.22
412Argentina63.46
453Uruguay61.84
——BarbadosMicrostate61.53
——Cayman IslandsMicrostate60.64
——St. Kitts and NevisMicrostate59.49
——Antigua and BarbudaMicrostate58.12
614Peru57.90
——GrenadaMicrostate56.27
——Turks and Caicos IslandsMicrostate55.44
735Colombia55.23
756Mexico54.99
797Cuba53.32
818Puerto Rico (US)53.10
869Dominican Republic51.42
——DominicaMicrostate51.11
8810Ecuador51.07
8911Brazil51.03
——St. LuciaMicrostate50.66
9312Bolivia50.30
9413Costa Rica50.00
——St. Vincent and the GrenadinesMicrostate49.59
——ArubaMicrostate48.98
——British Virgin IslandsMicrostate48.56
——St. Martin (French part)Microstate47.36
10014Jamaica46.92
——CuracaoMicrostate46.80
——Sint Maarten (Dutch part)Microstate46.76
——Virgin Islands (U.S.)Microstate46.46
10115Panama46.26
10216Bahamas, The46.13
10317Belize44.33
10418Trinidad and Tobago43.67
10519Paraguay43.39
11120Venezuela, RBFCS39.80
11821El Salvador37.88
12022Guyana37.09
12323Suriname35.94
13024Honduras33.08
13325Guatemala32.18
13926Nicaragua30.15
16127HaitiFCS22.72