Colombia Long Term Care Market Overview, 2031

Key Insights

• Colombia's long-term care market is emerging as a critical component of the national healthcare and social protection system, driven by rapid and accelerating population aging. According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), Colombia will reach 53.1 million inhabitants in 2025, with the population aged 60 and older representing 15.4% of the total population. The proportion of people aged 65 and older is projected to rise significantly in the coming decades.
• The Colombian government has initiated historic reforms to establish a comprehensive long-term care system. The Política Nacional de Cuidado was approved through CONPES 4143 on February 14, 2025, establishing a ten-year policy direction to transform the social organization of care. The policy proposes 133 actions across the national government with a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos.
• The Programa de Protección Social al Adulto Mayor – Colombia Mayor, updated through Decree 1342 of December 2025, provides social protection to older adults through monetary transfers and benefits. The program reaches millions of older adults with a solidarity basic income of 230,000 pesos per month.
• Colombia's long-term care infrastructure includes Comunidades de Cuidado (Care Communities) providing comprehensive long-term care services. More than 1,900 older adults over 60 years of age are served through 20 Care Communities in Bogotá, offering comfortable and safe long-stay accommodation, adequate nutritional components, clothing, and funeral services.
• The Constitutional Court has ordered the Congress to advance in the construction of a comprehensive law to regulate the integral protection of caregivers, warning that the absence of a structured policy generates situations where older adults themselves must assume the care of other people.

Market Outlook

• According to the research report, "Colombia Long Term Care Market Overview, 2031," published by Bonafide Research, the Colombia Long Term Care Market is anticipated to grow at more than 1.08 Billion by 2031. This growth is supported by accelerating demographic aging, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities requiring long-term care services, and the ongoing development of the National Care Policy framework.
• Colombia's demographic trajectory is a primary driver of long-term care demand. In 2005, people over 60 years of age represented 6.3% of the total population. By 2025, this proportion had more than doubled to 15.4%. By 2050, one in every four inhabitants will be over 60 years old. The number of working-age people per elderly dependent is projected to decline significantly, placing substantial pressure on both public financing and family caregiving capacity.
• The demand for formal care services is expected to significantly outpace supply. According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 14.4% of people aged 65 and older in the region require sustained support for basic activities of daily living, a proportion that could increase to 16% by 2050. Cerca del 70% de los cuidados a largo plazo recaen en mujeres de la familia, en su mayoría sin remuneración ni soporte formal, revealing the weakness of public and private systems to absorb growing demand.
• The Política Nacional de Cuidado through CONPES 4143 represents a historic policy commitment to transforming the social organization of care. The policy seeks to ensure the effective enjoyment of the right to care in dignified conditions, as well as to recognize and strengthen collective, community, and traditional care practices. The policy proposes 133 actions across the national government with a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos over a ten-year horizon.

Market Dynamics

Driver: Accelerated Demographic Aging and Rising Care Dependency Colombia is undergoing one of the most rapid demographic transitions in Latin America. In 2005, people over 60 years of age represented 6.3% of the total population. By 2025, the population aged 60 and older reached 8.17 million, representing 15.4% of the total population. For 2018, the proportion had already increased significantly. By 2050, one in every four inhabitants will be over 60 years old. The average age in Colombia has already surpassed 30 years. The fertility rate has fallen dramatically in 2024, only 32 births were registered per 1,000 women, half the rate of twenty years ago while life expectancy already exceeds 77 years. The National Administrative Department of Statistics projects that Colombia will reach its maximum population in 2043 with 56 million inhabitants, after which the population will begin to decline. The population aged 65 and over is projected to increase significantly, with projections indicating 164.3 older adults per 100 children under 15 years of age in 25 years. The elderly dependency ratio is projected to double, creating sustained demand for long-term care services across home healthcare, community care, and institutional settings. The Asociación Nacional de Instituciones Financieras warns that the sustained decline in birth rates and the increase in mortality associated with aging will structurally modify the relationship between the active and dependent population, increasing pressure on pension systems, healthcare, and the supply of long-term care.

Challenge: Fragmented Financing, Infrastructure Deficit, and Workforce Shortages Colombia's long-term care market faces critical challenges related to fragmented financing, limited infrastructure, and workforce shortages. The country does not currently finance sustained personal and social support through a single comprehensive national long-term care insurance program. Instead, responsibility is distributed across the General System of Social Security in Health (SGSSS), territorial social programs, older-person services, private purchasing, community support, and households. The healthcare system is not designed nor financed to cover long-term care and accompaniment services. The infrastructure deficit is acute. In Bogotá, a new transitory socio-health system will open 100 places for older adults in social, hospital, or street abandonment. The lack of structured policy generates situations where older adults themselves must assume the care of other people. The workforce shortage is severe, with the PAHO noting that cerca del 70% de los cuidados a largo plazo recaen en mujeres de la familia, en su mayoría sin remuneración ni soporte formal. This unpaid care burden accentuates gender inequality and reveals the weakness of public and private systems to absorb growing demand. The absence of proper caregiver management systems has been flagged as a critical issue. Without significant investment in workforce recruitment, training, compensation, professionalization, and infrastructure development, Colombia's long-term care system will face increasing difficulty in meeting growing demand.

Trend: Development of the National Care System and Policy Reform A fundamental shift in long-term care policy is occurring in Colombia with the development of a National Care System. The Política Nacional de Cuidado was approved through CONPES 4143 on February 14, 2025, establishing a ten-year policy direction to transform the social organization of care. The policy seeks to ensure the effective enjoyment of the right to care in dignified conditions, as well as to recognize and strengthen collective, community, and traditional care practices. The policy proposes 133 actions across the national government with a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos. For the elaboration of the document, the Gerencia del Cuidado de la Vicepresidencia de la República and the DNP carried out more than 15 technical tables with national entities, involving around 4,500 people in diagnostic studies conducted in 17 departments. The conclusion was the unanimous recognition of care as work that requires dignified conditions. The policy is based on the recognition of care as a right of people to care, to be cared for, and to exercise self-care based on the principles of universality, social and gender co-responsibility, promotion of autonomy, participation, and solidarity in financing. The Constitutional Court has ordered the Congress to advance in the construction of a comprehensive law to regulate the integral protection of caregivers. The convergence of the CONPES 4143 National Care Policy and legislative initiatives is creating the foundation for a more comprehensive long-term care ecosystem in Colombia.

Policies

• The Política Nacional de Cuidado was approved through CONPES 4143 on February 14, 2025, establishing a ten-year policy direction for the social organization of care. The policy proposes 133 actions across the national government with a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos. The policy seeks to ensure the effective enjoyment of the right to care in dignified conditions, as well as to recognize and strengthen collective, community, and traditional care practices.
• The Programa de Protección Social al Adulto Mayor – Colombia Mayor was updated through Decree 1342 of December 2025. The program provides social protection to older adults through monetary transfers and benefits. Beneficiaries receive a solidarity basic income of 230,000 pesos per month. The program reaches millions of older adults across Colombia.
• The Intersectoral Action Plan (PAI) of the National Public Policy on Aging and Old Age 2022-2031 was formalized during 2025 by the Ministry of Equality and Equity. The policy provides a comprehensive framework for the protection and care of older adults in Colombia.
• The Constitutional Court has ordered the Congress to advance in the construction of a comprehensive law to regulate the integral protection of caregivers. The Court warned that the absence of a structured policy generates situations where older adults must assume the care of other people.
• The Government has established that the State, society, and the family will concur for the protection and assistance of older persons and promote their integration into active and community life. Legislative initiatives are advancing to create the National System for Older Persons (SNPAM).
• The PAHO has published a series of policy synopses to guide the strengthening of long-term care in Latin America and the Caribbean, addressing person-centered care models, rights and needs of paid and unpaid caregivers, governance, and financing schemes.

Segment Analysis

Colombia Long-Term Care Market By Service Type • Home Healthcare: Home healthcare represents a growing segment in Colombia's long-term care market, driven by the preference for aging in place and Constitutional Court mandates requiring EPS providers to cover home caregiver services. Home healthcare includes personal care, nursing care, medication management, and support services delivered in the patient's home. However, the segment faces significant challenges: the healthcare system is not designed nor financed to cover long-term care services. The PAHO has emphasized the need for models of care centered on the person and the community, outside the traditional institutional scheme. The demand for home caregivers is growing as the population ages and as the Constitutional Court's rulings expand access to home-based care.
• Nursing Care / Skilled Nursing Facilities: The nursing facility sector in Colombia comprises geriatric homes and residential care facilities providing 24-hour care, nursing supervision, and personal assistance for elderly individuals with high care needs. The sector includes Long-Stay Care Communities providing comprehensive care. In Bogotá, the Comunidades de Cuidado serve more than 1,900 older adults through 20 Care Communities. Services include comfortable and safe long-stay accommodation, adequate nutritional components, clothing, and funeral services. However, the sector faces significant capacity constraints. In 2025, a new transitory socio-health system will open 100 places for older adults in social, hospital, or street abandonment in Bogotá. The traditional geriatric home model is being challenged by new approaches such as "senior living" that recognize the diversity of those who age.
• Assisted Living Facilities: Assisted living is an emerging segment in Colombia's long-term care market. The senior living model is being promoted as a transformative approach to housing in an aging Colombia, recognizing the functional, emotional, and social diversity of those who age. The segment includes independent living communities, assisted living facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. The senior living model combines private housing with shared services such as food, recreation, security, and basic health care. The retirement home service market is segmented by payment model, including government-funded, private insurance, and out-of-pocket.
• Hospice and Palliative Care: Hospice and palliative care services in Colombia are delivered across multiple settings, including homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and dedicated palliative care units. Colombia has advanced in the implementation of Law 2241 of 2022, with palliative care regulated by Law 1733 of 2014 (Ley Consuelo Devis Saavedra). The PAHO has emphasized the importance of palliative care as part of comprehensive long-term care services. The growing prevalence of chronic conditions and the aging population are driving demand for end-of-life care services. The Public Policy on Aging and Old Age includes provisions for comprehensive care for older adults.
• Other Services: This segment includes adult day care, community-based support services, and respite care. The Communities of Care program in Bogotá provides comprehensive care for older adults through interdisciplinary teams that supervise and accompany users in basic activities of daily living and health procedures. More than 1,900 older adults over 60 years of age are served through 20 Care Communities in the capital. Services include comfortable and safe long-stay accommodation, adequate nutritional components, clothing, and funeral services. The need for these services is growing as families seek alternatives to full-time institutional care while maintaining caregiving responsibilities.

Colombia Long-Term Care Market By Payer Type • Public: Public sources are a significant payer for long-term care services in Colombia, primarily through the General System of Social Security in Health (SGSSS), the Programa Colombia Mayor, and territorial social programs. The Programa Colombia Mayor reaches millions of older adults with a solidarity basic income of 230,000 pesos per month. The Política Nacional de Cuidado through CONPES 4143 has a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos over ten years. However, the healthcare system is not designed nor financed to cover long-term care and accompaniment services. Public financing is fragmented across multiple programs and levels of government, creating gaps in coverage and service availability.
• Private: Private sources account for a growing portion of long-term care spending in Colombia. Private geriatric homes and residential care facilities require substantial out-of-pocket expenditure. The "senior living" model is attracting private investment, with new developments emerging across the country. Private health insurance provides supplementary coverage for some elderly care services. Private assisted living facilities operate predominantly on a private-pay model. The private sector is expected to grow as the population ages and demand for premium services increases.
• Out-of-Pocket: Out-of-pocket payments represent a significant component of long-term care spending in Colombia. Families bear a significant financial burden for elderly care services not covered by public insurance. The limited availability of public residential care places means families must either provide care themselves or pay for private services. The economic burden on families is expected to increase as care costs rise and the population continues to age. The PAHO notes that cerca del 70% de los cuidados a largo plazo recaen en mujeres de la familia, en su mayoría sin remuneración ni soporte formal, highlighting the substantial unpaid care burden on households.

Colombia Long-Term Care Market By Gender • Female residents account for a larger share of Colombia's long-term care spending, driven by higher life expectancy and higher rates of disability in advanced age. The feminisation of ageing is a significant phenomenon, with women outnumbering men in older age cohorts. Women are more likely to live alone in old age, increasing their reliance on formal paid care services. The caregiving workforce is predominantly female: according to DANE's time-use data, women averaged significantly more hours per week of unpaid domestic and care work compared with men. The Política Nacional de Cuidado explicitly recognizes the disproportionate burden of care work on women and aims to reduce it.
• Male residents account for a smaller but growing share of Colombia's long-term care spending. The need for long-term care affects persons of all ages and is generally measured by limitations in an individual's ability to perform daily personal care activities. Men are more likely to need long-term care at younger ages due to disabilities and chronic conditions. As male life expectancy increases, the representation of men in the older adult cohort is slowly growing.

Colombia Long-Term Care Market Economics

• The cost of long-term care services varies significantly by service type, geographic location, and facility type. The Política Nacional de Cuidado has a total indicative cost of 25.65 trillion pesos over ten years. The Programa Colombia Mayor provides a solidarity basic income of 230,000 pesos per month. The average household size has decreased, reducing the availability of family caregivers.
• Public financing of long-term care is fragmented and growing but remains limited. The Programa Colombia Mayor reaches millions of older adults. The healthcare system is not designed nor financed to cover long-term care and accompaniment services. The Constitutional Court has ordered EPS providers to cover home caregiver services, creating new obligations for the healthcare system.
• Staffing costs represent a significant operating expense for all long-term care providers. The sector faces a severe workforce shortage, with an estimated millions of people exercising care work in Colombia. The PAHO has emphasized the need to address the roles, rights, and needs of paid and unpaid caregivers, with emphasis on gender equity and social recognition. The lack of professionalization and training limits the quality and availability of care services.
• The economic value of the silver economy is significant and growing. The Government has made unpaid domestic and care work statistically visible, and DANE's Satellite Account of the Care Economy provides a framework for valuing unpaid domestic and care work. The care economy represents a substantial contribution to Colombia's national economy. The silver economy is emerging as a significant growth opportunity, with the aging population creating demand for health, wellness, housing, and care services.


Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base year: 2025
• Estimated year: 2026
• Forecast year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Long-term care Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Service Type
• Home Healthcare
• Nursing Care / Skilled Nursing Facilities: 
• Assisted Living Facilities
• Hospice & Palliative Care:
• Other Services

By Payer Type
• Public
• Private
• Out-of-Pocket

By Gender
• Male
• Female