Economy

Imports
$96.4 billion (2022). Refined Petroleum ($11.5B), Cars ($4.82B), Crude Petroleum ($4.64B), Delivery Trucks ($3.39B), and Petroleum Gas ($2.72B), importing mostly from China ($24.9B), United States ($21.6B), Brazil ($9.17B), Argentina ($5.11B), and Germany ($2.98B).

In 2022, Chile was the world’s biggest importer of Sulfuric Acid ($754M)

Financial inclusion factors (over 15 years of  age)
• 87.1% have an account with a financial institution
• 24.3% have a credit card
• 19% have a mobile money account
• 41.5% make online purchases

Ease of doing business
Ease of conducting business is medium (rated 72.6 out of 100). Ranked 32nd out of 34 OECD high income countries. Ranked 59th out of 190 countries worldwide (2023, World Bank).

Exports
$99 billion (2022). Copper Ore ($22.8B), Refined Copper ($18.4B), Carbonates ($7.72B), Fish Fillets ($3.91B), and Raw Copper ($2.97B), exporting mostly to China ($38.5B), United States ($13.9B), Japan ($7.43B), South Korea ($6.13B), and Brazil ($4.55B).

In 2022, Chile was the world’s biggest exporter of Copper Ore ($22.8B), Refined Copper ($18.4B), Carbonates ($7.72B), Pitted Fruits ($2.45B), and Molybdenum Ore ($1.85B).

Main local online stores
MercadoLibre, eBay and Amazon, Netshoes, Alibaba, Garbarino.com, Musimundo.com, Frávega, Apple and Cencosud

Economic freedom
‘Mostly free’ (rated 71.4 out of 100). Ranked 2nd out of 32 American countries. Ranked 21st out of 186 countries worldwide (2024, Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal).

Global Innovation Index
Ranked 2nd out of 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries, 52nd out of 132 worldwide.

The Global Innovation Index captures the innovation
ecosystem performance of 132 economies and tracks the most recent global innovation trends.

Media

Media language Spanish

Information channels
National and local free-to-air TV broadcasters operate alongside extensive cable networks, which offer US and international networks. Radio is a key news source; there are hundreds of stations, most of them commercial. Spanish-owned Prisa Group is a major player. Two commercial groups own the bulk of print titles. The constitution guarantees press freedom and the media can criticise the government and cover sensitive topics. Chile scores well in the annual press freedom ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders. But the group worries is worried about highly-concentrated media ownership.

The press

El Mercurio – daily
La Tercera – daily
La Nacion – government-owned daily
La Segunda – evening daily
Diario Financiero – business daily

Television

National Television of Chile – state-owned but not under direct government control
Canal 13 – private
Chilevision – private
Mega – private
UCV – owned by Catholic university
La Red – private

Radio

Radio Cooperativa – news-based, national, private network
Pudahuel FM – private
Bio Bio La Radio – private network
El Conquistador FM – private network

Internet Data

Internet users
73.6% penetration, 86.98 million

Share of web traffic by device
41.04% mobile phones, 57.81% computers (laptops and desktops), 1.15% tablet devices.

Average speed of mobile Internet connection
27.75  Mbps

Average speed of fixed Internet connection
92.19 Mbps

Mobile connection as a percentage of total population: 99.3%

Percentage of mobile connections that are broadband (3G-5G): 97.3%

Most popular web search engines
Google (91.56%), Bing (3.1%), Baidu (1.5%), Yahoo (1.47%), Yandex (1.07%)

Most used social media
Facebook (72.73%),  Instagram (10.44%), Pinterest (5.95%), Twitter (2.88%), YouTube (6.97%), Tumblr (0.35%), Reddit (0.37%)

Social statistics

Life expectancy
80 (2022)

Gender
Regardless of their level in the workforce, women are at a slight disadvantage because of the “machismo” ethic that continues to exist in Chilean workplaces.  Men still dominate decision making but this is gradually changing as more women enter the workforce and occupy managerial positions. Women have the same educational opportunities as men. More women are willing to make the sacrifices that a full time career requires. Often, they will hire immigrants (usually women) from neighbouring countries who come to work in Chile as domestics and as caregivers. Women that rise to positions of influence or importance are highly admired and respected by men and women alike. However, women still bear the burden of most aspects of life at home although this dynamic is changing. 

Ethnicity and Religion
Although not openly admitted, Chile is a country of well-defined and rigid economic/social classes with an increasing gap between higher and lower income earners. The elite and upper middle class, largely in control of the country’s finances and resources, are usually well educated. They are the sons and daughters of successful immigrants from European and Middle Eastern countries who settled in Chile during the 19th and 20th century. They live in distinct areas of cities.  Their children attend private schools and private universities.

The middle class includes professionals, middle and small size business people, artists, etc. They also hold education as a priority with a more open attitude towards others. This group is largely made up of sons and daughters of immigrant parents from Arabic countries, other Latin American countries, Italy and Spain. Also, the middle class includes Chileans of mixed descent. This is the group that more appropriately represents the typical Chilean person.

The lower class is less educated and composed of farmers and general labourers. Women are usually at home raising the children or work as domestics in the households of members of the upper classes. The ethnic background of this group is mainly a mixture of Spaniards arriving in Chile from the 15th century and indigenous peoples.

A person’s social class and ethnicity can often be determined by the family name.  In rural areas, this division is even more noticeable.

Religion
The majority of Chileans are Roman Catholics. This continues to permeate society at all levels, even though the last decade has seen a shift in people’s attitudes and beliefs that somewhat dampens the effect of the Catholic Church in everyday life. Notwithstanding this shift, a certain sector of society with a more traditional view of the Catholic Church’s role in society, having considerable power through its educational institutions, continues to resist the push for change among younger Chileans. The Catholic Church has a direct influence or it is consulted on a regular basis by the government and by the opposition members. However, it is not the strong moral bastion that it once was. Culturally, the Church has lost the moral power it once held, even though it remains the dispenser of reassurance and security in times of crisis for many Chileans. Many scandals involving the clergy have been discovered in recent years and this has eroded people’s confidence in the Church. 

At a more personal level, many citizens find themselves disagreeing with the Church’s position on issues such as sexual education in the classroom, abortion and divorce. In the last decade, citizens from all walks of life have been advocating for a more open dialogue, within the Church and outside, to address these and other issues. Respect for and adherence to Catholic holidays remains very important.

Current health expenditure
9% of GDP (2022)

Current education expenditure
94.5% of total expenditure in public institutions

Corruption perceptions Index
Chile scored 67 out of 100, ranked 27 out 180 countries worldwide.

CO2 emissions
4.77 metric tons per capita.

World Happiness Index
Chile ranked 44 out of 146 countries, with a score of 6.172.