Regional Economic Bulletin: Central Coffee Region, 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.
The economy of the central coffee region grew year-over-year during the first quarter of 2025, in line with strong domestic and external demand. Private consumption was the main driver, given the greater availability of labor and non-labor household income, lower financing costs, and reduced inflationary pressures. Investment also improved, which was reflected in the increase in new home purchases, particularly Non-Low-Income Housing (Non-LIH), and in higher imports of intermediate goods by firms in the industrial and agricultural sectors.
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Agricultural production increased due to favorable weather conditions and strong demand. Cattle and pig farming also showed improved performance. Additionally, the food processing industry expanded, particularly coffee hulling, due to the abundant supply of raw materials.
Passenger land transport declined and ground freight transportation slowed down, both affected by road blockades during the rice growers’ strike and by the calendar effect of the Easter Week celebrations shifting to a different month this year.
Exports from the region registered a historically high value, driven by a rebound in green coffee shipments due to the lag of the previous harvest in the quarter and high international coffee prices. However, non-coffee exports declined.
