Colombia Leads Regional Digital Economy Ranking at 15.1% of GDP

Colombia's digital economy accounted for 15.1% of its GDP in 2025, making it the leader among five Spanish-speaking Latin American economies, according to a new regional study. The report, prepared by Telecom Advisory Services for Dig.ia-LAC, places Colombia ahead of Peru, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, which all had shares of 14.9%, 14.3%, 12.6%, and 12.6%, respectively.

The study estimates the digital ecosystem contributed about US$65 billion to Colombia's economy, with revenue from digital services and apps, worker productivity, and consumer surplus factored in.

Dig.ia-LAC presented the findings at its first regional forum in Bogota, emphasizing the importance of legal certainty and investment. The study highlights that digital services make up a substantial portion of Colombia's economy, with platforms generating US$15.5 billion in revenue and facilitating US$8.5 billion in online sales. However, the ranking should be considered in context, as it only covers five countries, and the alliance's members include major technology companies with a stake in digital regulation debates.

The digital economy contributes to Colombian productivity, with tools raising worker productivity by 1.83% and adding US$715 million to the economy annually. For consumers, digital tools add US$44.7 billion in direct benefits, including services like search, video, maps, and messaging. Advanced video compression technology can reduce data requirements by up to 30%, aiding network cost savings. However, the study stresses that infrastructure investments, such as cables, antennas, and data centers, remain crucial.

Mercedes Aramendia, Dig.ia-LAC's executive director, argues that the digital ecosystem serves as a development strategy, warning that restrictive rules or regulatory bias could harm the entire economy. The results also show Colombia performing well in financial technology, with the largest gain among eight countries and 78% of Colombians holding a mobile wallet or payment app, the second-highest share in the region after Argentina.

Overall, Colombia's strength lies in widespread digital service usage, while its challenge is to build the necessary infrastructure, skills, and regulatory frameworks to translate this usage into lasting growth.