Colombian Commercial Confidence Index fell to 20.5% in May

According to Fedesarrollo, the Commercial Confidence Index stood at 20.5% in May 2026, down 1.3 percentage points from April.

Fedesarrollo’s Business Opinion Survey showed that lower confidence stemmed mainly from a 7.5 percentage point drop in perceptions of firms’ current economic situation. The decline was partly offset by a 2.5 point rise in expectations for the next semester and a 1.0 point reduction in inventory levels.

Fedesarrollo executive director Marcela Meléndez stated that “the 1.3 pp decrease in the Commercial Confidence Index compared to the previous month is due to a drop in the perception of the current economic situation of the company or business, partially offset by an increase in expectations of the economic situation for the next semester and a reduction in the level of inventories”.

Year on year, the index fell 0.5 points from May 2025. The three-month moving average stood at 21.7%, a 0.7 point decline from April 2026.

Makala yanayohusiana

Illustration depicting Colombia's factory production rise amid falling sales and employment, with economic graphs overlay.
Picha iliyoundwa na AI

Manufacturing production rises 1.4% in February despite sales drop

Imeripotiwa na AI Picha iliyoundwa na AI

Colombia's manufacturing production rose 1.4% in February 2026 compared to the previous year, but real sales fell 2.5%, according to Dane data. Andi president Bruce Mac Master said the figures show stagnation and that the sector has yet to take off. Employed personnel dropped 0.4%.

Fedesarrollo's March business opinion survey showed the commercial confidence index at 22.8%, up 0.2 percentage points from February, thanks to reduced inventories. In contrast, the industrial confidence index fell 3.2 points into negative territory amid lower production expectations.

Imeripotiwa na AI

Fedesarrollo reported that its Economic Policy Uncertainty Index (Ipec) stood at 252 points in March, a drop of 46 points from February. The figure marks 90 consecutive months above the historical average observed from 2000 to 2019.

The national unemployment rate stood at 8% in May 2026, one percentage point lower than the previous year, the DANE reported. The figure is the lowest for that month since 2001.

Imeripotiwa na AI

After a 2.6% drop in economic activity in February, according to INDEC, private consultancies estimate a March recovery driven by agriculture. Equilibra forecasts a 1.5% year-on-year rise and 1% monthly desesasonalized. The first quarter would end with 0.4% growth versus 2025.

Jumatatu, 22. Mwezi wa sita 2026, 23:25:35

Colombian companies plan to increase hiring in the third quarter

Jumapili, 14. Mwezi wa sita 2026, 06:04:00

Colombia inflation expectations exceed Banco de la República target

Jumatano, 3. Mwezi wa sita 2026, 06:55:38

Fenalco reports only 32% of merchants saw higher sales in April

Jumamosi, 30. Mwezi wa tano 2026, 15:01:14

Unemployment rate holds steady at 8.8% in Colombia during April

Alhamisi, 30. Mwezi wa nne 2026, 12:23:16

Colombia's unemployment rate drops to 8.8% in March 2026

Jumatano, 22. Mwezi wa nne 2026, 08:24:27

Economic activity fell 2.6% in February, according to INDEC

Ijumaa, 10. Mwezi wa nne 2026, 23:25:36

US consumer sentiment hits record low in April

Jumatano, 8. Mwezi wa nne 2026, 22:54:39

Consultancies raise inflation projections in BCRA's REM survey

Tovuti hii inatumia vidakuzi

Tunatumia vidakuzi kwa uchambuzi ili kuboresha tovuti yetu. Soma sera ya faragha yetu kwa maelezo zaidi.
Kataa