Friday, December 5, became a day of maximum relevance for the national economy, marking a milestone on the path towards defining the increase in the minimum wage that will govern in Colombia during the year 2026. On this day, the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) made public the official figure of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), an indicator that reflects accumulated inflation and that, as a rule, constitutes the fundamental basis to begin any dialogue on the adjustment of basic remuneration. This year it was set at 5.30%

Countdown: December 15, First Goal for the Agreement

The period of discussions between the parties—representatives of workers, employers and the national government—has a clear limit. The stipulated date to reach an initial consensus on the new amount of the minimum wage and transportation subsidy is December 15. If the three spheres reach an agreement before this day, the communication of the final value would be made immediately. If agreement is not achieved on that date, the law establishes an additional margin to try to resolve differences.

The Figures That Delimit the Salary Proposal

The formal start of the deliberations took place on December 1, when the dialogue table was set up with the presentation of essential data by key entities. In that instance, DANE presented detailed information on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) until the third quarter of 2025, as well as a detailed analysis of the labor market.

These data, together with the recently revealed CPI, are the numerical pillars on which the labor confederations and business unions will base their economic proposals. The negotiations will continue their course, with presentations from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of the Republic on the macroeconomic outlook, before the parties put their cards on the table with increases offers on December 9.

In Case of Disagreement: December 30, Presidential Decision

In the scenario that the triad of actors fails to harmonize their positions and the attempts at consensus fail before the end of the legal period, the power to establish the salary increase and transportation assistance will fall to the President of the Republic. If this happens, the head of state must issue a decree with the final amount no later than December 30 of the current year.

The keys to understanding the increase in the minimum wage in 2026: what happened yesterday was key