Between 2018 and 2022, the Colombian economy experienced cumulative growth of around 6–7%, impacted by a -6.8% contraction in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, cumulative inflation in the same period reached around 13%, resulting in negative real growth of approximately -6% to -7%.
During the first three years of Gustavo Petro's administration (2022–2025), GDP showed more moderate growth: 1.7% in 2024 and 2.7% in the first quarter of 2025. Annual inflation stood at 5.1% in August 2025. Comparing these figures, cumulative real growth was only slightly negative (-0.7%), less unfavorable than in the previous period.
Unemployment during Duque's administration reached historic peaks during the pandemic, reaching nearly 20% in 2020 and closing his term still at double-digit levels. In contrast, under Petro, the unemployment rate fell more consistently, reaching 8.6% in June 2025, the lowest figure for that month since 2018, according to DANE (National Statistics Institute).
Regarding poverty, during Duque's administration, monetary poverty increased from 34.7% in 2018 to a peak of 39.3% in 2021. However, under Petro, a reduction was recorded: in 2023, poverty was 34.6%, and in 2024, it fell to 31.8%, the lowest level in more than a decade. This improvement meant that 1.2 million people were lifted out of monetary poverty and 420,000 out of extreme poverty, according to figures from the DNP and DANE.
Multidimensional poverty also showed progress under the current administration: in 2024, it stood at 11.5%, 0.6 percentage points lower than in 2023, reflecting improvements in access to services and living conditions. These results contrast with the previous period, in which no sustained reductions were observed.
In short, while Duque's administration faced a deterioration in real indicators due to the impact of the pandemic and inflation, Petro's administration has achieved a more significant reduction in poverty and unemployment, albeit with more moderate economic growth.