Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Colombia instead of Mexico, you would:

Health

live 2.6 years longer

In Mexico, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 22.8% less likely to be obese

In Mexico, 28.9% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Colombia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 14.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Mexico, 41.9% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Colombia, however, that number is 35.7% as of 2019.

make 25.1% less money

Mexico has a GDP per capita of $17,900 as of 2020, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $13,400 as of 2020.

be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed

In Mexico, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2019. In Colombia, that number is 10.5% as of 2019.

Life

have 12.3% more children

In Mexico, there are approximately 13.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Colombia, there are 15.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

be 2.5 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Mexico, approximately 33.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Colombia, 83.0 women do as of 2017.

Expenditures

spend 42.6% more on healthcare

Mexico spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Colombia, that number is 7.7% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 65.6% less coastline

Mexico has a total of 9,330 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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How big is Colombia compared to Mexico? See an in-depth size comparison.

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