Introduction: pertussis is an event mandatory to be reported in public health in Colombia. The diagnosis is made by laboratory through the implemented techniques of direct immuno-fluorescence, Polymerase chain reaction culture, in addition to clinical confirmation, and if epidemiologic investigation of outbreaks. Objectives: observe the behavior of both the notification and confirmation of pertussis cases in 2012 in Colombia, to provide tools for comparative analysis of identified cases this year in other regions, and identify possible factors that prevented the timely and adequate collection thereof. Methods: a retrospective descriptive analysis was performed of the notification in Colombia during 2012 and the results of laboratory Microbiology Group at the National Institute of Health, laboratories in Antioquia, Narino and the District of Bogota. Results: in 2012, 11 332 cases were reported by SIVIGILA application and 56.3% by laboratory, 22.5% by clinical and 21.2% were confirmed by epidemiological link. The incidence in the general population was 8.5 cases per 100 000 inhabitants; in the population younger than five years, the incidence was 61.7 cases per 100 000 children under five years and in children younger than one year, it was 255.6 cases per 100 000 children younger than a year. 74 deaths occurred in the country, representing a fatality rate of 1.9%. Out of the 46 outbreaks of pertussis, one was in the indigenous community, in which two deaths were confirmed by epidemiological link. Conclusions: the pertussis overall incidence was 8.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in 25 years; also the number of deaths exceeded those presented during 2004-2011 (70 deaths).