Chile

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 4.52 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 23 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

national and local terrestrial TV channels, coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self-financed through commercial advertising and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations

Internet country code

.cl

Internet users

percent of population: 95% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1.74 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 26.2 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (2024 est.)

Agricultural products

grapes, milk, apples, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken, maize, sugar beets, pork (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on food: 19.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

revenues: $77.003 billion (2023 est.) expenditures: $85.024 billion (2023 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Current account balance

-$4.853 billion (2024 est.) -$10.497 billion (2023 est.) -$26.656 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

export-driven economy; leading copper producer; though hit by COVID-19, fairly quick rebound from increased liquidity and rapid vaccine rollouts; decreasing poverty but still lingering inequality; public debt rising but still manageable; recent political violence has had negative economic consequences

Exchange rates

Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar - 943.572 (2024 est.) 840.067 (2023 est.) 873.314 (2022 est.) 758.955 (2021 est.) 792.727 (2020 est.)

Exports

$111.123 billion (2024 est.) $103.256 billion (2023 est.) $107.039 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

copper ore, refined copper, fish, carbonates, pitted fruits (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 39%, USA 16%, Japan 7%, S. Korea 6%, Brazil 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$330.267 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 58.1% (2024 est.) government consumption: 15.1% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 23.5% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -0.3% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 33.7% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -30.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 3.9% (2024 est.) industry: 30.1% (2024 est.) services: 56.1% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

43 (2022 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% (2022 est.) highest 10%: 34.5% (2022 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$99.239 billion (2024 est.) $100.082 billion (2023 est.) $118.928 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, garments, trucks (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 23%, USA 20%, Brazil 10%, Argentina 7%, Germany 5% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (2024 est.) 7.6% (2023 est.) 11.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

10.088 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

6.5% (2022 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

21% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$596.556 billion (2024 est.) $581.187 billion (2023 est.) $578.173 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

2.6% (2024 est.) 0.5% (2023 est.) 2.2% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$30,200 (2024 est.) $29,600 (2023 est.) $29,600 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0% of GDP (2024 est.) 0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$44.403 billion (2024 est.) $46.377 billion (2023 est.) $39.102 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Taxes and other revenues

17.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

9.1% (2024 est.) 9.1% (2023 est.) 8.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 22.3% (2024 est.) male: 20.3% (2024 est.) female: 24.9% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Coal

production: 474,000 metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 8.087 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 63,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 7.589 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 1.181 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 39.238 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 83.295 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 4.384 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 35.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 20.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 26.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) geothermal: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 5.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

71.42 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

production: 1.362 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 6.5 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) exports: 39.009 million cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 5.196 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 97.976 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

total petroleum production: 11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 404,000 bbl/day (2024 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 150 million barrels (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

83.058 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 14.773 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 55.504 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 12.781 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Climate

temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

Environmental issues

air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; noise pollution; improper garbage disposal; soil degradation; widespread deforestation; pollution and ecosystem degradation from mining; wildlife conservation

Geoparks

total global geoparks and regional networks: 1 global geoparks and regional networks: Kutralkura (2023)

International environmental agreements

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land: 14.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 11.8% (2023 est.) forest: 24.5% (2023 est.) other: 61.1% (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

18.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

923.06 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 1.29 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 1.66 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 29.42 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 88% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 6.517 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 1% (2022 est.)

Area

total : 756,102 sq km land: 743,812 sq km water: 12,290 sq km note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Climate

temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

Coastline

6,435 km

Elevation

highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,893 m (highest volcano in the world) lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 1,871 m

Geographic coordinates

30 00 S, 71 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: Chile is the longest country north-to-south in the world, extending across 39 degrees of latitude note 2: Chile is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: the Atacama Desert in the north of Chile is the driest desert in the world; Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) in the Atacama Desert is the highest active volcano in the world, Chile's tallest mountain, and the second-highest in the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; the volcano's small crater lake is the world's highest lake at 6,390 m

Irrigated land

9,094 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 7,801 km border countries (3): Argentina 6,691 km; Bolivia 942 km; Peru 168 km

Land use

agricultural land: 14.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 11.8% (2023 est.) forest: 24.5% (2023 est.) other: 61.1% (2023 est.)

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lago General Carrera (shared with Argentina) - 2,240 sq km; Lago O'Higgins (shared with Argentina) - 1,010 sq km; Lago Llanquihue - 800 sq km; Lago Fagnano (shared with Argentina) - 590 sq km

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200/350 nm

Natural hazards

severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis volcanism: significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (3,125 m) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Calbuco, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower

Population distribution

90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

Terrain

low coastal mountains, fertile central valley, rugged Andes in east

Administrative divisions

16 regions ( regiones , singular - region ); Antofagasta, Araucan a, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Ays n, Biob o, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los R os, Magallanes y de la Ant rtica Chilena (Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica), Maule, uble, Regi n Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapac , Valpara so note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Capital

name: Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in August; ends second Sunday in May; note - Punta Arenas observes DST throughout the year time zone note: Chile has three time zones: the continental portion at UTC-3; the southern Ays n and Magallanes regions, which do not use daylight savings time and remain at UTC-3 year-round; and Easter Island at UTC-5 etymology: Santiago is named after Saint James, the patron saint of Spain (Santo Iago in Spanish); Valparaiso derives from the Spanish words valle (valley) and para so (paradise)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

history: many previous; latest adopted 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; in September 2022 and again in December 2023, referendums presented for a new constitution were both defeated, and the September 1980 constitution remains in force amendment process: proposed by members of either house of the National Congress or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least four-sevenths majority vote of the membership in both houses and approval by the president; passage of amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, the Constitutional Tribunal, electoral justice, the Council of National Security, or the constitutional amendment process, requires at least four-sevenths majority vote by both houses of Congress and approval by the president; the president can opt to hold a referendum when Congress and the president disagree on an amendment

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Chile conventional short form: Chile local long form: Rep blica de Chile local short form: Chile etymology: derivation of the name is unclear; it may come from a local word meaning either "land's end" or "cold," or a local word that was confused with the Mexican Spanish word chili , meaning a chili pepper, in reference to the area's shape

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Brandon JUDD (since November 2025) embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago mailing address: 3460 Santiago Place, Washington DC 20521-3460 telephone: [56] (2) 2330-3000 FAX: [56] (2) 2330-3710 email address and website: SantiagoUSA@state.gov https://cl.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Juan Gabriel VALDES Soublette (since 7 June 2022) chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746 FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579 email address and website: echile.eeuu@minrel.gob.cl https://chile.gob.cl/estados-unidos/en/ consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gabriel BORIC (since 11 March 2022) head of government: President Gabriel BORIC (since 11 March 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single 4-year term most recent election date: 16 November 2025, with a runoff held on 14 December 2025 election results: 2025: Jos Antonio KAST elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jeannette Alejandra JARA Rom n (PCCh) 26.8%, Jos Antonio KAST (PLR) 23.9%, Franco Aldo PARISI Fern ndez (PDG) 19.7%, Johannes KAISER (PNL) 13.9%, Evelyn Rose MATTHEI Fornet (PL) 12.5%; other 3.2%; percent of vote in second round - Jos Antonio KAST 58.2%, Jeannette Alejandra JARA Rom n 41.8%; note - KAST will take office 11 March 2026 2021: Gabriel BORIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jos Antonio KAST (FSC) 27.9%; Gabriel BORIC (AD) 25.8%; Franco PARISI (PDG) 12.8%; Sebastian SICHEL (ChP+) 12.8%; Yasna PROVOSTE (New Social Pact) 11.6%; other 9.1%; percent of vote in second round - Gabriel BORIC 55.9%; Jose Antonio KAST 44.1% 2017: Sebastian PINERA Echenique elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sebastian PINERA Echenique (independent) 36.6%; Alejandro GUILLIER (independent) 22.7%; Beatriz SANCHEZ (independent) 20.3%; Jose Antonio KAST (independent) 7.9%; Carolina GOIC (PDC) 5.9%; Marco ENRIQUEZ-OMINAMI (PRO) 5.7%; other 0.9%; percent of vote in second round - Sebastian PINERA Echenique 54.6%, Alejandro GUILLIER 45.4% expected date of next election: 18 November 2029 (a runoff, if needed, will take place in December 2029) note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Flag

description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square sits in the top left corner of the flag, the same height as the white band; the square has a five-pointed white star in the center meaning: the star represents a guide to progress and honor; blue stands for the sky, white for the Andes Mountains, and red for the blood spilled to achieve independence note: design influenced by the US flag

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of a court president and 20 members); Constitutional Court (consists of 10 members and is independent of the rest of the judiciary); Elections Qualifying Court (consists of 5 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges (ministers) appointed by the president of the republic and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 by the Supreme Court, 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the Chamber of Deputies, and 2 by the Senate; members serve 9-year terms with partial membership replacement every 3 years (the court reviews constitutionality of legislation); Elections Qualifying Court members appointed by lottery - 1 by the former president or vice president of the Senate and 1 by the former president or vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Appellate Court of Valparaiso; members appointed for 4-year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; oral criminal tribunals; military tribunals; local police courts; specialized tribunals and courts in matters such as family, labor, customs, taxes, and electoral affairs

Legal system

civil law system influenced by several Western European civil legal systems; Constitutional Tribunal reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

legislature name: National Congress (Congreso Nacional) legislative structure: bicameral

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name: Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) number of seats: 155 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 11/21/2021 parties elected and seats per party: Chile Podemos (Empowering Chile", CP +) (53); New Social Pact (NPS) (37); Approving Dignity (AD) (37); Christian Social Front (FSC) (15); Other (13) percentage of women in chamber: 33.5% expected date of next election: November 2025

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name: Senate (Senado) number of seats: 50 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: partial renewal term in office: 8 years most recent election date: 11/21/2021 parties elected and seats per party: Chile Podemos (Empowering Chile", CP +) (12); New Social Pact (NPS) (8); Approving Dignity (AD) (4); Independents (2); Other (1) percentage of women in chamber: 32% expected date of next election: November 2025

National anthem(s)

title: "Himno Nacional de Chile" (National Anthem of Chile) lyrics/music: Eusebio LILLO Robles and Bernardo DE VERA y Pintado/Ramon CARNICER y Battle history: music adopted 1828, original lyrics adopted 1818, adapted lyrics adopted 1847; under Augusto PINOCHET's military rule, a verse glorifying the army was added; some citizens refused to sing this verse as a protest, and it was removed when democracy was restored in 1990

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 7 (all cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Rapa Nui National Park ; Churches of Chiloe; Historic Valparaiso; Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works; Sewell Mining Town; Qhapaq an/Andean Road System; Chinchorro archeological sites

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

National symbol(s)

huemul (mountain deer), Andean condor

Political parties

Approve Dignity (Apruebo Dignidad) coalition or AD (included PC, FA, and FREVS); note - dissolved 2023 Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) or FA (includes RD, CS, and Comunes) Chile We Can Do More (Chile Podemos M s ) or ChP+ (coalition includes EVOPOLI, PRI, RN, UDI) Christian Democratic Party or PDC Common Sense Party or SC Commons (Comunes) Communist Party of Chile or PCCh Democratic Revolution or RD Democrats or PD Equality Party or PI Green Ecological Party or PEV (dissolved 7 February 2022) Green Popular Alliance or AVP Humanist Action Party or PAH Humanist Party or PH Independent Democratic Union or UDI Liberal Party (Partido Liberal de Chile) or PL National Libertarian Party or PNL National Renewal or RN New Social Pact or NPS (includes PDC, PL, PPD, PRSD, PS) Party for Democracy or PPD Party of the People or PDG Political Evolution or EVOPOLI Popular Party or PP Progressive Homeland Party or PRO Radical Party or PR Republican Party or PLR Social Christian Party or PSC Social Convergence or CS Social Green Regionalist Federation or FREVS Socialist Party or PS Yellow Movement for Chile or AMAR

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Indigenous groups inhabited central and southern Chile for several thousand years, living in mixed pastoralist and settled communities. The Inca then ruled the north of the country for nearly a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1541, the Spanish established the Captaincy General of Chile, which lasted until Chile declared its independence in 1810. The subsequent struggle with the Spanish became tied to other South American independence conflicts, with a decisive victory not being achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia to win its current northernmost regions. By the 1880s, the Chilean central government cemented its control over the central and southern regions inhabited by Mapuche Indigenous peoples. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments succeeded each other until the Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 in a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a democratically elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Economic reforms that were maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

Military - note

the Chilean military's responsibilities are territorial defense, ensuring the country s sovereignty, assisting with disaster and humanitarian relief, and providing some internal security duties such as border security or maintaining public order if required; a key focus in recent years has been assisting with securing the border area with Bolivia and Peru; it trains regularly and participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, as well as international peacekeeping operations Chile and Argentina have a joint peacekeeping force known as the Combined Southern Cross Peacekeeping Force (FPC), designed to be made available to the UN; the FPC is made up of air, ground, and naval components, as well as a combined logistics support unit the Chilean Army was founded in 1810, but traces its origins back to the Army of the Kingdom of Chile, which was established by the Spanish Crown in the early 1600s; Chile's military aviation was inaugurated in 1913 with the creation of a military aviation school; the Navy traces its origins to 1817; it was first led by a British officer and the first ships were largely crewed by American, British, and Irish sailors; by the 1880s, the Chilean Navy was one of the most powerful in the Americas, and included the world s first protected cruiser (a ship with an armored deck to protect vital machine spaces) (2025)

Military and security forces

Armed Forces of Chile ( Fuerzas Armadas de Chile ): Chilean Army (Ej rcito de Chile), Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile, includes Marine Corps and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate or Directemar), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh) (2025) note 1: the Directemar is the country's coast guard note 2: the National Police Force (Carabineros de Chile) is responsible to both the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 70,000 active Armed Forces (40,000 Army; 20,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force); approximately 50,000 Carabineros (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Chilean military's inventory is comprised of a mix of mostly older foreign supplied armaments and some domestically produced weapons systems; significant foreign suppliers have included Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US; Chile's defense industry is active in the production of military aircraft, ships, and vehicles (2025)

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 2% of GDP (2021 est.) 2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-24 for voluntary military service for men and women (17 for men with parental permission); selective compulsory service for men 18-24 (there are usually enough volunteers to make compulsory service unnecessary); service obligation is a maximum of 24 months (2025) note: as of 2024, women comprised approximately 21% of the armed forces

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.2% (male 1,822,908/female 1,751,528) 15-64 years: 67.3% (male 6,274,620/female 6,278,467) 65 years and over: 13.6% (2024 est.) (male 1,072,208/female 1,464,921)

Alcohol consumption per capita

total: 7.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 2.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 2.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

8.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

48.5% (2022 est.)

Death rate

6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 45 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 24.1 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 20.9 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 4.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

4.9% of GDP (2022 est.) 18.4% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

White and non-Indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other Indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.61 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

9% of GDP (2022) 19% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, Indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.3 years (2024 est.) male: 77.3 years female: 83.3 years

Literacy

total population: 96.4% (2017 est.) male: 96.5% (2017 est.) female: 96.3% (2017 est.)

Major urban areas - population

6.903 million SANTIAGO (capital), 1.009 million Valparaiso, 912,000 Concepcion (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

total: 38.9 years (2025 est.) male: 35.8 years female: 38.2 years

Nationality

noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean

Net migration rate

2.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28% (2016)

Physician density

3.33 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

total: 19,091,343 (2025 est.) male: 9,379,883 female: 9,711,460

Population distribution

90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

Population growth rate

0.46% (2025 est.)

Religions

Catholic 57%, none 25.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.2%, other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1.3%; less than 1%: Buddhist, Catholic Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Islam, Judaism, other religions, no religion (2024)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.) rural: 100% of population (2022 est.) total: 100% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0% of population (2022 est.) rural: 0% of population (2022 est.) total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years (2023 est.) male: 17 years (2023 est.) female: 17 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

total: 26.2% (2025 est.) male: 28.4% (2025 est.) female: 24.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 88% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

Tren de Aragua (TdA) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees: 15,788 (2024 est.) IDPs: 8,323 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 1,688 (2024 est.)

Airports

379 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CC

Heliports

115 (2025)

Merchant marine

total: 249 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 5, general cargo 66, oil tanker 14, other 161

Ports

total ports: 39 (2024) large: 0 medium: 2 small: 10 very small: 27 ports with oil terminals: 25 key ports: Antofagasta, Bahia de Valdivia, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones, Puerto Montt, Puerto San Antonio, Rada de Arica, Rada Punta Arenas, Talcahuano, Tocopilla

Railways

total: 7,281.5 km (2014) narrow gauge: 3,853.5 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge broad gauge: 3,428 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified)