Regional Economic Bulletin: Caribbean Coast, first quarter of 2025
The Regional Economic Bulletin is published by the Regional Economies Section of the Technical and Economic Information Department at Banco de la República. The views and potential errors are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not compromise Banco de la República or its Board of Directors.
During the first quarter of 2025, the economy of Colombia’s Caribbean region grew. Stronger domestic and external demand, gradually declining interest rates, easing inflation, and the hosting of large-scale entertainment events stimulated commerce, tourism, air transport, financial services, and formal employment. In contrast, coal mining and construction activity continued to decline, the former in a context of falling international prices and the latter due to reduced project execution.
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Commerce strengthened, driven by a rebound in sales of cultural items, entertainment, and new vehicles and motorcycles, amid improved commercial confidence. The financial system supported this momentum with increased lending, particularly to the business sector.

Agricultural activity declined in key regional crops such as bananas, squash (ahuyama), and tropical fruits due to the dry weather in January and February and the conclusion of some harvests. On the other hand, the cattle and pigs supply for slaughter grew due to higher demand.

The industrial sector faced challenges due to the shortage of raw materials, high inventory turnover, and weaker demand from the construction sector. Construction activity remained on a downward trend due to the fall in the areas under construction and those started, and due to lower gray cement shipments to the region.
