Regional Economic Bulletin (BER in Spanish): Northeast, Second Quarter of 2026
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.
In the second quarter of 2026, the economy of the Northeast is estimated to have grown year-over-year, driven by higher household spending and a more favorable expectations environment.
Demand supported manufacturing activity and pork production. However, road blockades in April and heavy rainfall affected the movement of cattle, as well as the supply of perishable foods and oil palm fruit. In construction, most indicators increased markedly, although new housing sales declined. Meanwhile, inflation remained above the target, while the unemployment rate increased in Bucaramanga and Tunja.
Retail trade continued to grow, driven by higher sales of durable and semi-durable goods, particularly automobiles, motorcycles, and televisions. In particular, discounts associated with the FIFA World Cup drove television purchases. Likewise, traders and consumers showed greater confidence and more favorable expectations.
Manufacturing production in the Northeast maintained year-over-year growth above the national rate, supported by operational improvements, stronger demand, and input availability. In Santander, fuel refining stood out, while Boyacá resumed growth after six quarters of decline, driven by beverages, steelmaking, and construction materials.
Construction in the region showed positive signs, associated with growth in the effectively constructed area, as well as sustained increases in cement shipments and building permits. In contrast, new housing sales declined, mainly due to the sharp decline in VIS sales in Santander.
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.
