Toro-Córdoba, Jorge Hernán

Recently, the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE in Spanish) published updated vital statistics data for the country, exhibiting a 14.6% decrease in births during the first four…

An understudied aspect of healthcare systems is the impact of the quality of the medical staff on the health performance of system users. A research paper in…

In a recently published blog on Banco de la República’s profits, it was shown that in 2023 these mainly came from the yield of foreign reserves, which in the last 10 years reached…

A health system reform is currently being discussed which proposes that payment to Healthcare Service Providers (IPS in Spanish) be made directly by a public entity, the ​​Administrator of Resources of the General System of Social Security in Health (ADRES in Spanish), based on fee schedules per…

Following the enactment of the 1991 Constitution, which increased the fiscal autonomy of subnational governments, there was a growing deterioration of territorial finances, which, in turn, threatened to jeopardize the fiscal position of the Central Government. In response, fiscal rules for…

A paper recently published in the Working Papers on Economics, number 1267, analyzes some aspects of economic and financial education in Colombia using a survey that follows the…

The mismatch between the skills of workers and the needs of companies is a problem that affects the efficiency of labor markets in developing countries. The vocational education sector as well as technical and technological education and skills certification are mechanisms for adjusting this…

In its most recent financial report for 2023 (only available in Spanish), Banco de la República (the Central Bank of Colombia or Banrep) reported historical profits…

High-altitude climbers know very well that the descent from the top can be as dangerous as the ascent, so they advance cautiously in this second stage of the journey to ensure a healthy return home. Something similar could be said of monetary policy. Risks do not disappear in the decline period…

Economic observers who monitor monetary policy often compare the timing of interest rate increase or decrease cycle decisions across countries to determine which countries were ahead and which were behind in their decisions. This might be correct if the countries had identical economic…

Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of mortality in the world. These diseases are mainly associated with older age groups and, therefore, their financial burden is expected to increase progressively due to the aging of the population and risk factors derived from…

This paper reviews the literature on the expected macroeconomic effects of the physical and transition risks of climate change, identifying the main strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. This review aims to contextualize climate change’s potential impact in Colombia in the coming decades and…

Remittance inflows are mainly flows of foreign currency sent periodically by emigrants to their families in the country of origin for various purposes such as contributing to household support, children's education, the purchase of housing or other investments that generate capital income for…

As part of its efforts to monitor the country's economic activity, Banco de la República conducts monthly surveys among businessmen and representatives of productive sectors in all regions of the country. The results of these qualitative surveys are aggregated into a balance, known as the…

After a period of growing income inequality at the end of the 20th century, Colombia began the 21st century with a decline in the Gini coefficient that was particularly pronounced in the decade following 2010. This indicator went from 0.56 to 0.51 between 2010 and 2017, increasing slightly at…

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the way merchants do business.  Preventive confinement, health restrictions and fear of contagion forced businesses to look for other ways of operating through home-based services, online commerce and the acceptance of different electronic payment…

Retail payment instruments play a crucial role in economic and financial stability and in the functioning of trade. These include cash, debit and credit cards, checks, and wire transfers.

In September last year, a blog was published announcing the quarterly publication of the National Accounts by Institutional Sector (CNSI in Spanish), which include the national accounts by…

In March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted educational activities usually carried out in person. To mitigate the cost of closing educational institutions, governments and school and university administrators chose to maintain training processes through virtual tools and other means. However…