Since 2002, the Government of Colombia has been on a mission to eradicate poverty through investments in social programs and services for underserved populations. Some examples of these social investments can be seen in education, housing, technical training, health coverage and programs for enterprise creation.

• Investments in social programs, which accounted for 13.4 percent of GDP in 2002, increased to 16.3 percent of GDP in 2007.

• Between 2002 and 2008, the government was successful in helping pull six million Colombians out of poverty and extreme poverty.

• Through its universal health care system, the Colombian Government has provided 91% of Colombians – 41 million – with health insurance. In 2002, only 23 million Colombian citizens were covered by health insurance.

• One effort to reduce poverty and ensure that poor families are afforded economic opportunity and access to basic nutrition, health care and education, is the Families in Action (Familias en Acción) program.

• Families in Action currently provides cash subsidies to more than 2.6 million impoverished families on the condition that children remain enrolled in school and receive primary care health check-ups.

• The program is active in more than 60 percent of Colombian cities and is achieving results, including increased school enrollment and improved nutrition and utilization of health services.

• The Government’s investments in other programs to promote education have helped Colombia ensure that roughly 90% of children are in enrolled in elementary and secondary schools.

• Colombia’s literacy rate is 93%.

• Between 2002 and 2008, Colombia’s university-level education enrollment rose by nearly 450,000 students.

• Today, 1.4 million students are enrolled in institutions of higher learning in Colombia.

• On average, Colombia’s universities graduate 27,000 business majors, 13,000 engineering majors annually.

• In addition, between 2002 and 2008, Colombia’s National Training Service (SENA) saw the number of available spots for technical training increase from 1,142,798 to 6,043,428.

Colombia’s investments in social programs have helped to provide all citizens with equal opportunities for success and prosperity.