Colombia vs Mexico
Colombia vs Mexico: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2024: 95.3% in Colombia and 95.6% in Mexico, by UNESCO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Mexico, by 0.2 percentage points, or 1 times that in Colombia.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Colombia.
- The world as a whole: 87.7% in 2024.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Colombia | Mexico | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 95.3 | 95.6 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | 95.5 | 95.8 | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 95.3 | 95.1 | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 95.7 | 95.7 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 95.6 | 95.3 | 87 |
| 2019 | 95.3 | 95.4 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 95.1 | 95.4 | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 94.9 | 95 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | 94.7 | 94.9 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | 94.3 | 94.5 | 86 |
| 2014 | 94.2 | 94.6 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | 94 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 94.2 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 93.6 | 93.5 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 93.4 | 93.1 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | 93.2 | 93.4 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | 93.4 | 92.9 | 83.5 |
| 2007 | 92.7 | 92.8 | 83.1 |
| 2006 | 92.3 | 91.7 | 82.5 |
| 2005 | 92.9 | 91.6 | 82.6 |
| 2004 | 92.8 | 91 | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | 90.3 | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | 90.5 | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | 91.2 | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | 91.1 | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | 87.6 | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | 83 | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Colombia vs Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterColombia: 73.9% in 2022Mexico: 43% in 2022
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025Mexico: 80% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020Mexico: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020Mexico: 1 million TIV in 2019