Bogota is the ideal destination for doing business, developing investment projects and regional markets. 

 

Bogota hosts the mayor business events in the country. It is a city full of dynamic and competitive people, who are connected to the world throughout the use of new technologies and offers new opportunities for the youth in order to build and develop itself as other cities do.

 

Bogota was recognized as the third economy in Latin America due to the ease of doing business according to the Doing Business of the World Bank Group.  

 

• According to América Economía Intelligence, Bogota is ranked as the 8th city in Latin America for doing business.  The city was classified recently as the fourth city of the future in Latin America by fDi Magazine.

 

 

• In 2011, 1,361 companies were registered in the city according to the Chamber of Commerce of Bogota. In the past four years the city went from having 679 companies with foreign investment to 1,361 in 2011.  Bogota has the first investment promotion agency of the no OECD countries and is ranked 16 of 216 agencies in the world.

 

 

 

• Due to the Trade treaties Colombia has signed with other countries, companies located in Bogota can now have access to a national market of US$286 billion and an enlarged market of US$40 billion.  In 2011, credit rating was boosted to investment grade by Standard&Poor’s, Moody’s y Fitch&Ratings, exceeding Argentina’s, Costa Rica’s and Uruguay’s ratings. 

 

• Bogota’s GDP was of over US$70,3 billion in 2011 and was considered the eight active economy of Latin America, exceeding the even the entire economy of countries such as Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Salvador and Bolivia. 

 

• Bogota contributes with the 27% of the country’s GDP and in 2010 its economic growth was of 4%.  Bogota’s GDP per capita in 2010 was US$5.835

 

 

 

 

• The city has a privileged geographic localization which allows it to access different regional en international markets. 

 

• Bogota is connected to the world by El Dorado International Airport, the major cargo hub and the third passenger transport in Latin America. Bogota is just 5 hours from New York, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. 22 international direct flights operate from El Dorado.

 

• Bogota has a population of 7,3 million people (9,4 million if including the metropolitan area) which is twice as big as Medellin and the sixth biggest city in Latin America.  Over 16% of Colombia’s population lives in Bogota.

 

•The city’s economy is focused on aggregated value sectors such as the Service sector (79%). Over 79% of the Foreign Direct Investment FDI from countries such as United States, Spain and Netherlands of the country not related to the oil and gas industry is focused in Bogota. 83% of the FDI is focused on transportation, industry and service sectors.

 

• Bogota-Cundinamarca is the main non-traditional products exporter in Colombia. Exportations in 2010 exceeded US$4.700 million of which 75,2% were industrial exportations.

 

• Bogota’s working force is made up by over 4 million young, qualified and recognized worldwide people.  Over 58% of this working force is made up by people between 18 and 39 years old.

 

• There are 115 higher education institutions which relieve over  861,000 students per year and graduate 90,000 professionals yearly.  The main careers are: economy, administration, accountancy, social science, engineering, architecture and urbanism.

 

• Colombia has one of the most flexible working regimes in Latin America according to the IMD due to the ease in the hiring process, flexible schedules and the ease in dismissal. 

 

 

• Compared to other 8 capital cities in Latin America, Bogota and Buenos Aires have the lowest living rates (phone bills, laundry service, movie theater entries, etc). These rates are lower than the ones in cities such as Santiago, Lima, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Caracas.

 

 

 

• More than 94% of the oil and gas industry of Colombia is located in Bogota. The major five enterprises of this sector have their coordination centers in Bogota.

 

• Offshore industry and long distance services of aggregated value (BPO, KPO) in Bogota has more than 20 years of experience and more than 48.500 employees. Over 70% of the representative software enterprises in Colombia are located in Bogota.  Also, 61% of the IT sector employees are located in Bogota, overcoming Medellin which has 18% of the working force for the sector.