Time required to start a business in Colombia
Colombia: Time required to start a business was 10 days in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Time required to start a business in Colombia, 2003–2019
Source: Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in days.
Analysis
Colombia recorded 10 days for time required to start a business in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is down 9.1% on the previous year and down 47.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, time required to start a business in Colombia peaked at 44 days in 2003 and was at its lowest, 10 days, in 2019.
Colombia ranks 111th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Time required to start a business in Colombia, year by year
| Year | days | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 44 days | — |
| 2004 | 41 days | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 41 days | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 42 days | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 41 days | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 35 days | -14.6% |
| 2009 | 19 days | -45.7% |
| 2010 | 11 days | -42.1% |
| 2011 | 11 days | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12 days | +9.1% |
| 2013 | 12 days | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12 days | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12 days | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11 days | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 11 days | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11 days | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10 days | -9.1% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 10 days is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 12 days, 83% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 10 days is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 16 days, 62% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Time required to start a business in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | -45.7% | 35 days | 19 days |
| 2010 | -42.1% | 19 days | 11 days |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.57 days | 19 days | 44 days | 7 |
| 2010s | 11.3 days | 10 days | 12 days | 10 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 108 Trinidad and Tobago 10.5 days compare
- 109 Saudi Arabia 10.4 days compare
- 110 Russia 10.1 days compare
- 111 Gabon 10 days compare
- 111 Kyrgyzstan 10 days compare
- 111 Niger 10 days compare
- 111 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10 days compare
- 111 Switzerland 10 days compare
More reference data data for Colombia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4113 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 9.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 61.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 94.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is time required to start a business in Colombia?
- Time required to start a business in Colombia was 10 days in 2019, according to Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest time required to start a business recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 44 days in 2003.
- What is the lowest time required to start a business recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10 days in 2019.
- How does Colombia rank for time required to start a business?
- Colombia ranks 111th out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
- Is time required to start a business rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Doing Business project, World Bank (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Time required to start a business. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of calendar days needed to complete the procedures to legally operate a business.