Colombia became the second country with the highest number of internally displaced persons in 2025, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) [1, 2, 3].
This ranking underscores a deepening humanitarian crisis as illegal armed groups intensify territorial conflicts. The scale of displacement threatens regional stability and puts immense pressure on urban centers receiving fleeing populations.
The IDMC report said that Colombia had approximately 7.2 million internally displaced persons in 2025 [1]. This figure follows a period of significant growth; for instance, some records indicate a 43% increase in displacement between 2023 and 2024 [5].
Violence and conflict among illegal armed groups drove more than 394,000 internal movements during 2025 [1, 2]. The Catatumbo region emerged as a primary area of concern where these forced migrations were most concentrated [1].
While the IDMC identifies Colombia as the second most affected nation, other reports have placed the country in third position with an estimated 7.3 million displaced persons [4]. This discrepancy highlights the difficulty of tracking populations in active conflict zones.
On a regional scale, the crisis in Colombia contributes heavily to the broader Latin American trend. In 2025, the total number of internally displaced people across Latin America reached 10.5 million [3].
The IDMC continues to monitor these trends to provide data for humanitarian responses. The organization said the data reflects the ongoing impact of violence on civilian populations in rural areas [1].
“Colombia became the second country with the highest number of internally displaced persons in 2025”
The high volume of internal displacement in Colombia indicates that despite various peace efforts, illegal armed groups maintain significant control over rural territories. The concentration of displacement in areas like Catatumbo suggests that territorial disputes over resources and smuggling routes continue to override state security measures, creating a permanent class of displaced citizens who require long-term state support.
