Tiago Bianchi
Research expert covering internet & gaming in Latin America and Spain
Internet usage in Colombia - Statistics & Facts
With an audience size comparable to Argentina, Colombia stands as the fourth largest internet market in Latin America and the Caribbean. But unlike its neighbor and despite a steady growth, the country’s internet penetration rates remain largely unbalanced and are expected to grow little more than 3.5 percent until 2027, reflecting typical structural problems faced by the continent. However, mobile internet is rapidly expanding throughout the region, balancing its internet offer and becoming the primary channel for Colombians to join the web, thus favoring its promising and expansive e-commerce sector.
However, Colombia’s slow increase in online access still holds its strategic digital sectors back. With most of its vast territory still covered by cable connections, differences between urban and rural areas reflect the country’s structural problems and inhibit wider growth. Compared to neighboring markets similar in size but with more fiber-optic or 5G connections, Colombia's digital landscape success still relies on providing broad access to its population. With all challenges considered, Colombians already demonstrate their potential and capacity to deliver high levels of engagement and profitability, making the country one of Latin America's most active and dynamic internet markets.
Fractured internet access…
Gaps in internet access are one of the defining aspects of Colombia’s online environment. This becomes evident when observing the divide between capital cities and dispersed localities, alongside the discrepancy between mobile and desktop device connection speeds. When able to circumvent these challenges, Colombians highly value the possibility of accessing the internet in any place at any time, whereas mobile devices already generate most of Colombia’s online traffic. Amidst this scenario, most internet users in the country access the service to find information and keep themselves informed and, especially, to access social networks.…a beaming social media landscape…
Despite connectivity issues, Colombia’s social media landscape gathers over 37 million social media users, with access to these platforms extending to more than 70 percent of its population. Meta’s platforms dominate its social media landscape, with WhatsApp and Instagram being Colombians’ favorite networks. Most nationals prefer to use social media for keeping in touch with mutual connections, with a fair share using these platforms for news and content consumption. Messengers were also the most used type of platform in the country, showcasing the importance of these offerings across Latin America. However, using social media was also listed as one of the main channels for around 65 percent of local users to research brands and products.…and a growing e-commerce sector
Tackling Colombia’s internet access inequality signifies a national challenge indeed. But considering that its e-commerce sector thrives as Latin America’s third-largest market, even outstripping some of its more connected neighbors, Colombians prove their digital might once conditions are provided. The country’s local e-commerce sector generated more than 7.06 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2023, with fashion and electronic consumer goods being Colombia’s top e-commerce categories. Nonetheless, the market is heated by the dispute of regional leader Mercado Libre, recognized as the favorite online shopping channel for Colombians, against growing competition of foreign giants like Shopee and Amazon as the most downloaded e-commerce mobile apps in Colombia in 2023.However, Colombia’s slow increase in online access still holds its strategic digital sectors back. With most of its vast territory still covered by cable connections, differences between urban and rural areas reflect the country’s structural problems and inhibit wider growth. Compared to neighboring markets similar in size but with more fiber-optic or 5G connections, Colombia's digital landscape success still relies on providing broad access to its population. With all challenges considered, Colombians already demonstrate their potential and capacity to deliver high levels of engagement and profitability, making the country one of Latin America's most active and dynamic internet markets.
