Privileged geographical position

One of the main attractions of Bogota is its privileged geographical position. Located in the center of the Continent, the capital has an area of 1,775.98 km2 and offers a whole range of international connections. Its air terminal boasts the largest cargo transportation capacity in Latin America and ranks third in terms of passengers.

See the Bogota’s Strategic Location section 

Market

Bogota represents a market of over 8 million people, equivalent to 16.4% of the nation’s population (which was 48.8 million in 2016). Its strong and diversified economy explains why it makes sense to invest in Bogota.

Learn more about Market Access of Bogota.

Business Environment

Colombia's economic situation is reflected in its capital’s positive indicators. Bogota has a favorable climate for business - Fitch Ratings’ stable BBB credit rating and its 17.5% contribution to the country’s industrial GDP support the decision to invest.

In 2016, the city’s GDP accounted for 25.7% of Colombia’s total, namely USD 72.6 billion. In the same year, Bogota’s per capita GDP rose to USD 9,101, significantly higher than the USD 5,898 per capita GDP figure for the country as a whole.

The Colombian capital represents 26% of the country's corporations, 55% of its financial transactions and is home to a highly-qualified talent pool. As proof of this, the number of multinationals that have decided to start operations in Bogota has increased steadily and by 2016 a total of 1,550 of these companies were located in the city.

Economic strength

The strength of Bogota’s economy is evident in its dynamism. During part of the last decade, the city’s economic growth outpaced Latin America’s. In fact, in 2016 the Colombian capital’s economy grew by 3% and the unemployment rate stood at 9.3%.

The city’s solid economic performance is reflected in the outstanding stability of its prices. Bogota has one of the lowest inflation rates among the most important cities in Latin America. In 2016 it was 5.7%, considerably lower than cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Caracas.

Cost structure

Bogota offers a very competitive production cost structure. For example, the city has one of the most favorable salary levels among the major Latin American cities. In 2015 it held a 51.57% share of all of Colombia’s medium and large businesses and in 2016 it had a 32.16% share of the country’s international trade. In 2016, the city exported USD 2.44 billion (FOB) and imported USD 21.97 billion (CIF).

Foreign investment

Bogota is a business-friendly city that offers investors one of the best entrepreneurial environments in Latin America. According to the latest World Bank analysis, Bogota is the easiest city in Latin America to conduct business.

Proof of this is that over the last 8 years Bogota has been the Latin American city that has implemented most reforms aimed at making its business environment more efficient.

Flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Colombia have performed remarkably well throughout the last decade. The historical peak in 2013, when FDI broke the barrier of USD 16 billion, is proof of this.

Updated (mm/dd/yyyy): 03.21.2018