Colombia Diaspora Sends US$13.1 Billion Home

COLOMBIA · DIASPORA

The Colombia diaspora in the United States numbers about 1.77 million people, largest in Florida, New York and New Jersey. Colombians abroad sent US$13.1 billion home in 2025, so US rules reach Colombian households directly.

How Many Colombians Live in the United States

The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, released in September 2025, counts 1,765,862 people of Colombian origin in the United States. That is about 2.6% of the 68.0 million Hispanic Americans counted in the same survey.

In plain English, the Census Bureau asks people to name their origin, and anyone who answers Colombian is counted, whatever their birthplace. A diaspora is a community living abroad that keeps ties to its homeland.

The Census Bureau separately counts 1,153,648 US residents born in Colombia, about 65% of the origin figure. Roughly one in three people of Colombian origin was therefore born somewhere other than Colombia.

Survey estimates carry a margin of error, which is about 43,000 people for the origin count. The true figure therefore sits in a narrow band around 1.77 million.

Banco de la República, Colombia’s central bank, cites UN data for 2020 on Colombians living abroad, excluding Venezuela. It puts 45% in the United States and 25% in Spain.

Where Colombian Americans Live

Florida holds the largest share of the Colombia diaspora, with 539,138 people of Colombian origin in the 2024 survey. That is about 31% of the national total.

New York counts 180,570, New Jersey 164,808, California 143,015 and Texas 121,191. Florida, New York and New Jersey together hold about half of all Colombian Americans.

Miami-Dade County in Florida counts 154,851 people of Colombian origin, and neighbouring Broward County counts 112,904. Together the two South Florida counties are home to about 268,000 Colombian Americans.

New York City counts 103,825 people of Colombian origin, and Queens, the borough that includes Jackson Heights, has 66,465. Bergen County in New Jersey adds 41,252.

The Orlando area counts 84,306, the Washington, DC area 46,433 and the Tampa area 44,950. Georgia (56,438), Massachusetts (51,837) and North Carolina (50,003) each pass 50,000.

Why Colombians Came to the United States

Banco de la República says a rising flow of Colombians leaving the country lies behind the growth in remittances. It also points to steady job creation in the United States and Spain, the source of about two-thirds of that money.

The Department of Homeland Security counted 24,810 Colombian-born people who received green cards in fiscal year 2023. That was the highest figure of the ten years from 2014 to 2023, up from 21,720 in fiscal 2022.

The yearly count fell to 11,990 in fiscal 2020 and then rose every year after. A US fiscal year runs from 1 October to 30 September.

Colombia’s central bank counted 2.1 million people receiving money from abroad in June 2024, up from just under 1 million in 2016. The jump shows how many Colombian homes now receive money from relatives abroad.

Remittances, the Money Sent Home

Banco de la República reports that workers abroad sent US$13.1 billion to Colombia in 2025. That was 10.6% more than in 2024 and equal to 2.9% of Colombia’s economic output.

The United States and Spain supply about two-thirds of all remittances, the central bank says. In 2025, flows from Spain grew by US$362 million and flows from the United States by US$157 million.

In the first quarter of 2026, remittances reached US$3.35 billion, up 6.9% on the same quarter of 2025. Flows from the United States grew by US$13 million in that quarter, against US$90 million from Spain.

A 2024 central bank blog post put the average monthly transfer at between US$470 and US$506 per recipient. It also found that 2023 was the first year above US$10 billion and June 2024 the first month above US$1 billion.

For more on how the money moves, see our guide to Colombia’s remittances and bank access. Our peso outlook explains how the inflow supports the currency.

How the New US Remittance Tax Works

Since 1 January 2026, the United States taxes remittances at 1% when paid in cash, by money order or by cashier’s check. The Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, the US tax agency, explained the rule on 10 April 2026.

Transfers paid from a bank account or with a US-issued debit or credit card are outside the tax. The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register, the government’s official journal, on 13 April 2026.

The sender owes the tax, and the transfer company collects it and pays it to the Treasury. A sender who wires US$200 in cash would pay US$2 extra.

Colombia is a large receiving country, with remittances equal to 2.9% of its economy. The tax applies to the sending method, not to the destination.

Citizenship and Visa Routes

Article 96 of Colombia’s Constitution says Colombian nationality is not lost by acquiring another one. A Colombian who becomes a US citizen therefore keeps the right to a Colombian passport.

Children of Colombian parents who are born abroad are Colombian too, once they register at a consulate or later live in Colombia. The text of the Constitution on the Senate website was last updated on 15 October 2026.

The Department of Homeland Security counted 17,090 Colombian-born people who became US citizens in fiscal 2023. Every year from 2014 to 2023 except 2020 stayed between 16,190 and 18,600, and 2020 fell to 12,770.

Colombia is listed for E-1 treaty trader and E-2 treaty investor visas, which let treaty-country business owners run a US firm. The State Department dates that status to 10 June 1948.

Voting and Representation From Abroad

Members of the Colombia diaspora vote in national elections at their consulates. The Registraduría, Colombia’s national election authority, listed 1,414,661 Colombians registered to vote abroad in 67 countries for the June 2026 presidential runoff.

Voting abroad for the runoff ran from 15 to 21 June 2026 at 253 voting posts. The United States is only one of the 67 countries in that total.

Article 176 of the Constitution reserves one of four special seats in the Chamber of Representatives for Colombians abroad. Only votes cast outside Colombia count for that seat.

On 4 September 2026, Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar swore in María Consuelo Araújo Castro as Colombia’s ambassador to the United States. The ceremony took place at the Palacio de San Carlos, the Foreign Ministry’s seat in Bogotá.

What It Means for US Readers

Employers and lenders in Florida, New York and New Jersey meet the largest Colombia diaspora communities, about 0.5% of US residents overall. Banks and transfer firms also handle a flow equal to 2.9% of Colombia’s economy.

Families who send cash should know that a card or bank transfer avoids the 1% tax. A Colombian investor can look at the E-2 visa, and a US citizen of Colombian birth can hold both passports.

For trade, tariffs and sanctions between the two governments, read our guide to Colombia and the United States. Our history of Colombia gives the background, and the Colombia hub lists current coverage.

Travellers visiting relatives can use our city guides to Bogotá and Medellín. Both are among Colombia’s largest cities.

What Is Not Known

No figure in the Census Bureau and central bank data used here shows how many Colombian-born residents lack legal status. The survey tables used here also leave out earnings for Colombian Americans as a group.

Banco de la República gives the United States and Spain together as about two-thirds of remittances, not the US share alone. The Registraduría figure for voters abroad is not split by country in the release used here.

The first full year of data on the 1% US tax is not yet available. The first-quarter 2026 growth of 6.9% is too early to show its effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Colombians live in the United States?

The Census Bureau’s 2024 survey counts 1,765,862 people of Colombian origin. Of them, 1,153,648 were born in Colombia.

Which US state has the most Colombian Americans?

Florida, with 539,138 people of Colombian origin in 2024. New York (180,570) and New Jersey (164,808) follow.

How much money do Colombians abroad send home?

Remittances to Colombia reached US$13.1 billion in 2025, says the central bank. The United States and Spain supply about two-thirds.

Is there a US tax on sending money to Colombia?

Yes, a 1% tax applies to cash, money-order and similar transfers since 1 January 2026. Transfers from a bank account or with a US-issued card are outside it.

Can a Colombian keep citizenship after becoming a US citizen?

Yes, because Article 96 of Colombia’s Constitution says nationality is not lost by acquiring another. The person can keep both passports.

Can Colombians in the United States vote in Colombia?

Yes, at consulates, if they are registered there. One of the four special seats in the Chamber of Representatives is reserved for voters abroad.

Sources: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 one-year estimates, tables B03001 and B05006, 2025-09; Banco de la República, Balance of Payments Report, January to December 2025, 2026-02; Banco de la República, Balance of Payments Report, January to March 2026, 2026-06; Banco de la República, blog on remittance inflows to Colombia, 2024-10-18; Treasury and IRS, proposed regulations on the remittance transfer tax (IR-2026-48), 2026-04-10; Federal Register, Excise Tax on Remittance Transfers, 2026-04-13; Department of Homeland Security, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics 2023, Tables 3 and 21, 2026-08; US State Department, treaty countries for E-1 and E-2 visas, 2026-10; Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, voting abroad in the 2026 runoff, 2026-06; Constitution of Colombia, Articles 96 and 176 (Senate text), 2026-10-15; Colombian Foreign Ministry, swearing-in of ambassadors to the United States and the UN, 2026-09-04.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief