Regional Economic Bulletin: Northeast, third 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 northeast region’s economy continued to grow, driven by dynamism in consumption. Rising remittances, increased consumer confidence, and high employment levels supported demand. Trade sales recorded the greatest recent year-over-year changes in Santander, while the region reached record levels in the supply of perishable goods, alongside increased cattle and pork slaughter. Manufacturing recovered, supported by the positive performance in the department of Santander. Construction indicators remained negative. Inflation declined in Bucaramanga and Cúcuta, while rising in Tunja due to the higher food prices.
Commercial activity continued to grow during the third quarter, with notable increases in sales in Santander led by vehicles, technological equipment, and cultural and entertainment products. The rebound was driven by improved inventories, incentives, and greater consumer confidence, reinforcing positive business expectations.
Major cities in the northeast region recorded improvements in employment and declines in the unemployment rate (UR), with Bucaramanga below the UR national average and Cúcuta reaching its second-lowest historical level. However, the increase in employment was concentrated on informal jobs.
Manufacturing showed signs of recovery, driven by Santander amid the rebound in fuels and, to a lesser extent, by growth in food and chemicals. The increase was supported by stronger demand and operational stability. In contrast, the fall in the department of Boyacá deepened due to lower construction materials and beverages.
Regional Economic Bulletin published to date (since 2025)
In order to present this content to the English-speaking public, since 2025 Banrep has been providing translations of the summaries. The full document, as well as the interactive bulletin, are published only in Spanish.
