What Worries the World – September 2026

Colombia appears to be entering a more optimistic chapter. The proportion who feel the country is heading in the right direction has risen to 52%, up 16 percentage points from a year ago and well above the 38% global average. This improvement predates the change of government, following a low of 35% in late 2024, but has accelerated around the political transition, with Abelardo De La Espriella taking office in August promising greater security and renewed economic confidence. Yet the optimism seems to reflect confidence in where the country is going rather than satisfaction with where it is today. Nearly two-thirds still describe the economy as bad, while concerns remain relatively evenly spread across unemployment (36%), crime (33%), inequality (32%), corruption (31%) and healthcare (26%), with no single issue dominating the public agenda. Colombia has often shown resilience and comparatively high optimism despite persistent challenges, but the experience of the past four years shows this cannot be taken for granted. The new government will now need to turn renewed expectations into visible progress on the issues that continue to weigh most heavily on Colombians.