An increasing number of highly educated Colombians are emigrating to countries such as the United States and Spain, shows a Central Bank study released on Monday.
The so-called Colombian “brain drain” is resulting in a big difference in education levels between Colombians living in their home country and those living abroad.
According to the study, 37% of Colombian immigrants in the U.S. have a college degree or have taken part in post-graduate education. In Colombia, no more than 14% of the population has a university degree.
22% of the highly educated Colombians currently living in the U.S. will stay in their adopted country. This is much higher than the South American average: only 9% of highly educated South Americans will not return to their home country.