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Ecommerce Facts and Figures in Columbia

Mobile commerce and online shopper behaviour in Columbia

Read below more about ecommerce growth, Ecommerce sales and cross-border ecommerce in Columbia
Total Population
- 49.8 million
Urban Population
- 76% urban - 24% rural 
Internet Penetration
- 28.6 million internet users expected at the end of 2015
- 57% penetration 
Mobile Penetration
- 48.2 million active mobile subscriptions
- 104% penetration
Social Media
- 22 million active social media users
- 48% penetration 
Active Mobile Social Media Users
- 15.6 million active users
- 34% penetration 
Age Breakdown
- 42% of the population in Colombia are between 25 and 54
Religion
- Colombia is a predominantly Roman Catholic country, with the majority of inhabitants (90%) following this religion
Tablet Penetration
- Colombia has the highest tablet penetration in Latin America (LATAM): 34% 
Smartphone Penetration
- 10.5 million smartphones
- 22% penetration
Online Shoppers
- 12 million
Ecommerce Sales
- USD 2.5 Billion according to CCE in December 2013
Ecommerce Penetration
- 18-24 years: 46%; 25-34 years: 59%; 35-44 years: 52% and 45-55 years: 56% 
Ecommerce CAGR (2012 – 2014)
- 15%
Mobile Commerce
- 28% of Colombians are using mobile commerce and 14% are using their phone to make purchases online.
Mobile OS Platforms
- Android is the most relevant mobile operating system in Latin America and Colombia, with 79% of respondents in Colombia owning Android devices

Cross-border Ecommerce Opportunities

• Despite its popularity, online shopping in Colombia is a sector still in its infancy, leaving plenty of opportunity for any online player seeking to get a foothold in Latin America. 
• Just under half of Colombians are open to shopping on international sites, but over half still prefer shopping on domestic websites. 
• Colombia and Chile, after Brazil, are Latin American countries that rank highly in consideration for cross-border business, given their regionally high internet penetration rates and economic activity. 
• Despite the high focus by non-LATAM businesses on Brazil for cross-border ecommerce, doing businesses in Colombia is significantly easier. It takes thirteen days to start a business in Colombia. In Brazil it takes 119. The cost of operating in Colombia is also considerably lower than in Brazil.
• When shopping overseas, Colombians mostly buy from the US, China, Mexico, and Brazil
• Colombian businesses mostly export to the US, China, Spain and the Netherlands.

Language as a Key Driver

• Over 99% of Colombians speak Spanish as their main language.
• English has official status in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands.
• Other countries with high numbers of native Spanish speakers are Mexico (109 million), The US (44.3 million), Argentina (40.6 million), Spain (40.4 million), Peru (29.1 million) and Venezuela (26.4 million)