Colombia: Other expense (% of expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Colombia's other expense (% of expense) fell 1.79 percentage points on 2022 (from 9.98% to 8.19%).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2022), the average change was −0.7 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.23 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 14.29 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 11.4 percentage points in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Colombia had the 33rd highest value of the 77 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Colombia in the 2023 ranking

• Dominican Republic — 29th of 77: 8.58%
• North Macedonia — 30th of 77: 8.36%
• Estonia — 31st of 77: 8.22%
• Uruguay — 33rd of 77: 7.87%
• San Marino — 34th of 77: 7.48%
• Tonga — 35th of 77: 7.37%

What this measures

Other expense is spending on dividends, rent, and other miscellaneous expenses, including provision for consumption of fixed capital. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.

Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.

All 20 values

Other expense (% of expense) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 7.29% (2023)
• Bahamas, The — 11.53% (2023)
• Barbados — 1.55% (2016)
• Brazil — 4.12% (2023)
• Chile — 17.59% (2023)
• Costa Rica — 20.85% (2023)
• Dominican Republic — 8.58% (2023)
• Ecuador — 5.45% (2022)
• El Salvador — 5.97% (2023)
• Guatemala — 7.36% (2023)
• Honduras — 8.2% (2020)

More public sector data for Colombia

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 22 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 14.5 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 58.75 trillion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.2% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 9.29% (2025)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 225 (2024)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 3.44 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 46.95 (2023)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 24.91 (2023)
• Armed forces personnel, total

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Colombia's other expense (% of expense)?

8.19% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1998?

It is up 7.02 percentage points from 1.17% in 1998. The highest value was 21.29% in 2011 and the lowest -2.16% in 2000.

How does Colombia rank?

33rd highest of 77 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in other expense (% of expense) unusual for Colombia?

In 2023, Colombia's other expense (% of expense) fell 1.79 percentage points on 2022 (from 9.98% to 8.19%). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2022), the average change was −0.7 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 6.23 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator GC.XPN.OTHR.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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