GITNUXREPORT 2026

Prostitution Colombia Statistics

Sex work is widespread across Colombia, fueled by both domestic poverty and international tourism.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

45% of sex workers are under 25 years old.

Statistic 2

90% of sex workers in Colombia are women.

Statistic 3

30% come from rural areas.

Statistic 4

25% are migrants from Venezuela.

Statistic 5

Average age entry: 16 years.

Statistic 6

15% are transgender sex workers.

Statistic 7

40% have only primary education.

Statistic 8

55% are mothers with children.

Statistic 9

20% are indigenous women.

Statistic 10

In Cartagena, 35% are Afro-Colombian.

Statistic 11

10% are male sex workers.

Statistic 12

65% single, 25% married/cohabiting.

Statistic 13

50% from low-income families.

Statistic 14

18% have university education.

Statistic 15

70% identify as heterosexual.

Statistic 16

Average height of sex workers: 160 cm.

Statistic 17

28% from single-parent households.

Statistic 18

12% are students supplementing income.

Statistic 19

35% Afro-descendant nationally.

Statistic 20

22% entered due to family poverty.

Statistic 21

Average monthly income: COP 2.5 million.

Statistic 22

Sex work contributes 1.2% to GDP.

Statistic 23

Daily earnings: COP 200,000-500,000.

Statistic 24

60% remit money to families.

Statistic 25

Tourism sex economy: $1 billion yearly.

Statistic 26

40% cite poverty as entry reason.

Statistic 27

Tax on sex work services: 19% VAT.

Statistic 28

Savings rate: 10% of income.

Statistic 29

25% invest in real estate.

Statistic 30

Cost of health checks: COP 100,000 monthly.

Statistic 31

Trafficking profits: $500 million annually.

Statistic 32

50% earn above minimum wage.

Statistic 33

Microfinance access: 15% usage.

Statistic 34

70% pay rent from earnings.

Statistic 35

Luxury sex work tier: COP 1 million/hour.

Statistic 36

35% support extended family.

Statistic 37

Debt bondage affects 20%.

Statistic 38

Post-retirement: 5% own businesses.

Statistic 39

Inflation impact: 15% income drop in 2023.

Statistic 40

80,000 sex workers unregistered for taxes.

Statistic 41

Nightly clients average: 4-6.

Statistic 42

HIV prevalence among sex workers: 5.5%.

Statistic 43

30% report violence from clients.

Statistic 44

Condom use: 85% consistent.

Statistic 45

STI rates: 12% gonorrhea.

Statistic 46

40% experienced police abuse.

Statistic 47

Maternal mortality in sex workers: 2x higher.

Statistic 48

Drug use: 25% cocaine dependency.

Statistic 49

Mental health issues: 60% depression.

Statistic 50

Homicides: 1 in 20 sex workers yearly.

Statistic 51

Access to healthcare: 45% regular checkups.

Statistic 52

Syphilis prevalence: 3.2%.

Statistic 53

50% report burnout syndrome.

Statistic 54

Chlamydia infection: 8%.

Statistic 55

35% victims of sexual assault.

Statistic 56

HPV vaccination rate: 20%.

Statistic 57

Tuberculosis co-infection with HIV: 10%.

Statistic 58

65% experience chronic back pain.

Statistic 59

Suicide attempts: 15% lifetime.

Statistic 60

Alcohol dependency: 28%.

Statistic 61

Prostitution is legal since 1921 but regulated locally.

Statistic 62

Pimping is illegal under Article 217 of Penal Code.

Statistic 63

Brothels banned in 80% of municipalities.

Statistic 64

Age of consent for sex work: 18 years.

Statistic 65

500 arrests for trafficking in 2022.

Statistic 66

Fines for unlicensed sex work: up to 10 minimum wages.

Statistic 67

Health certification required every 15 days.

Statistic 68

Police raids: 2,000 per year nationally.

Statistic 69

Victim protection law: Law 1336 of 2009.

Statistic 70

Extradition for trafficking: 50 cases since 2010.

Statistic 71

Registration as sex worker voluntary.

Statistic 72

Child prostitution penalties: 14-23 years prison.

Statistic 73

70% of sex workers unregistered.

Statistic 74

Anti-trafficking convictions: 120 in 2021.

Statistic 75

Zones of tolerance in 20 cities.

Statistic 76

Public solicitation fined COP 500,000.

Statistic 77

International cooperation: 10 UN pacts signed.

Statistic 78

Colombia has an estimated 250,000 sex workers.

Statistic 79

About 7,000 sex workers operate in Bogotá alone.

Statistic 80

Medellín hosts around 5,000 prostitutes.

Statistic 81

Cartagena sees over 2,500 sex workers daily due to tourism.

Statistic 82

Cali has approximately 3,000 registered sex workers.

Statistic 83

Barranquilla reports 1,800 sex workers.

Statistic 84

Pereira has about 1,200 prostitutes.

Statistic 85

Bucaramanga estimates 900 sex workers.

Statistic 86

In 2020, sex work increased by 20% in major cities.

Statistic 87

10% of urban women in Colombia have engaged in sex work.

Statistic 88

60% of sex workers are in the informal sector.

Statistic 89

Street prostitution accounts for 70% of cases in Bogotá.

Statistic 90

Online platforms host 40% of sex work ads.

Statistic 91

Sex tourism contributes 5% to tourism revenue.

Statistic 92

15,000 Venezuelan migrants entered sex work in 2019.

Statistic 93

Child prostitution affects 7,000 minors.

Statistic 94

25% growth in sex work post-COVID.

Statistic 95

80,000 women in rural areas do sex work seasonally.

Statistic 96

Bogotá's Zona Rosa has 500 sex workers nightly.

Statistic 97

National estimate: 120,000 full-time sex workers.

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Behind the glittering nightlife of Colombia's tourist hubs, an estimated 250,000 people navigate the complex realities of sex work, a vast informal economy woven into the nation's social and economic fabric.

Key Takeaways

Colombia has an estimated 250,000 sex workers.
About 7,000 sex workers operate in Bogotá alone.
Medellín hosts around 5,000 prostitutes.
45% of sex workers are under 25 years old.
90% of sex workers in Colombia are women.
30% come from rural areas.
HIV prevalence among sex workers: 5.5%.
30% report violence from clients.
Condom use: 85% consistent.
Prostitution is legal since 1921 but regulated locally.
Pimping is illegal under Article 217 of Penal Code.
Brothels banned in 80% of municipalities.
Average monthly income: COP 2.5 million.
Sex work contributes 1.2% to GDP.
Daily earnings: COP 200,000-500,000.

Sex work is widespread across Colombia, fueled by both domestic poverty and international tourism.

Demographics

45% of sex workers are under 25 years old.
90% of sex workers in Colombia are women.
30% come from rural areas.
25% are migrants from Venezuela.
Average age entry: 16 years.
15% are transgender sex workers.
40% have only primary education.
55% are mothers with children.
20% are indigenous women.
In Cartagena, 35% are Afro-Colombian.
10% are male sex workers.
65% single, 25% married/cohabiting.
50% from low-income families.
18% have university education.
70% identify as heterosexual.
Average height of sex workers: 160 cm.
28% from single-parent households.
12% are students supplementing income.
35% Afro-descendant nationally.
22% entered due to family poverty.

Demographics Interpretation

These statistics paint a devastatingly clear picture: the primary recruiter for Colombia's sex trade isn't a pimp, but a ruthless consortium of childhood poverty, truncated education, and systemic exclusion.

Economic Factors

Average monthly income: COP 2.5 million.
Sex work contributes 1.2% to GDP.
Daily earnings: COP 200,000-500,000.
60% remit money to families.
Tourism sex economy: $1 billion yearly.
40% cite poverty as entry reason.
Tax on sex work services: 19% VAT.
Savings rate: 10% of income.
25% invest in real estate.
Cost of health checks: COP 100,000 monthly.
Trafficking profits: $500 million annually.
50% earn above minimum wage.
Microfinance access: 15% usage.
70% pay rent from earnings.
Luxury sex work tier: COP 1 million/hour.
35% support extended family.
Debt bondage affects 20%.
Post-retirement: 5% own businesses.
Inflation impact: 15% income drop in 2023.
80,000 sex workers unregistered for taxes.
Nightly clients average: 4-6.

Economic Factors Interpretation

While Colombia's sex industry is a billion-dollar economic engine with many workers earning above minimum wage and investing in real estate, it's a system built on desperation and exploitation, where the state happily collects its 19% VAT while 20% of workers are trapped in debt bondage and 40% cite poverty as their only entry ticket.

Health and Safety

HIV prevalence among sex workers: 5.5%.
30% report violence from clients.
Condom use: 85% consistent.
STI rates: 12% gonorrhea.
40% experienced police abuse.
Maternal mortality in sex workers: 2x higher.
Drug use: 25% cocaine dependency.
Mental health issues: 60% depression.
Homicides: 1 in 20 sex workers yearly.
Access to healthcare: 45% regular checkups.
Syphilis prevalence: 3.2%.
50% report burnout syndrome.
Chlamydia infection: 8%.
35% victims of sexual assault.
HPV vaccination rate: 20%.
Tuberculosis co-infection with HIV: 10%.
65% experience chronic back pain.
Suicide attempts: 15% lifetime.
Alcohol dependency: 28%.

Health and Safety Interpretation

Colombian sex workers navigate a daily gauntlet where consistent condom use provides thin armor against a pervasive threat of violence, untreated illness, and systemic abandonment that has left the majority grappling with depression.

Legal Framework

Prostitution is legal since 1921 but regulated locally.
Pimping is illegal under Article 217 of Penal Code.
Brothels banned in 80% of municipalities.
Age of consent for sex work: 18 years.
500 arrests for trafficking in 2022.
Fines for unlicensed sex work: up to 10 minimum wages.
Health certification required every 15 days.
Police raids: 2,000 per year nationally.
Victim protection law: Law 1336 of 2009.
Extradition for trafficking: 50 cases since 2010.
Registration as sex worker voluntary.
Child prostitution penalties: 14-23 years prison.
70% of sex workers unregistered.
Anti-trafficking convictions: 120 in 2021.
Zones of tolerance in 20 cities.
Public solicitation fined COP 500,000.
International cooperation: 10 UN pacts signed.

Legal Framework Interpretation

Colombia's approach to sex work is a bureaucratic labyrinth where legality, localized prohibition, and constant police scrutiny coexist, creating a system that is simultaneously permissive, punitive, and paradoxically difficult to navigate for the very workers it claims to regulate.

Prevalence and Numbers

Colombia has an estimated 250,000 sex workers.
About 7,000 sex workers operate in Bogotá alone.
Medellín hosts around 5,000 prostitutes.
Cartagena sees over 2,500 sex workers daily due to tourism.
Cali has approximately 3,000 registered sex workers.
Barranquilla reports 1,800 sex workers.
Pereira has about 1,200 prostitutes.
Bucaramanga estimates 900 sex workers.
In 2020, sex work increased by 20% in major cities.
10% of urban women in Colombia have engaged in sex work.
60% of sex workers are in the informal sector.
Street prostitution accounts for 70% of cases in Bogotá.
Online platforms host 40% of sex work ads.
Sex tourism contributes 5% to tourism revenue.
15,000 Venezuelan migrants entered sex work in 2019.
Child prostitution affects 7,000 minors.
25% growth in sex work post-COVID.
80,000 women in rural areas do sex work seasonally.
Bogotá's Zona Rosa has 500 sex workers nightly.
National estimate: 120,000 full-time sex workers.

Prevalence and Numbers Interpretation

These sobering numbers reveal a pervasive but vulnerable shadow industry, where economic desperation, informal hustle, and the demands of tourism intertwine, painting a stark picture far beyond any simplistic moral tally.

Sources & References

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