Chile | Facts & Information

Updated January 10, 2023 | Infoplease Staff

Infoplease has everything you need to know about Chile. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about Chile's geography, history, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our maps and flags.

Facts & Figures

  • Official name: The Republic of Chile (La República de Chile)

    President: Gabriel Boric (2022)

    Land area: 287,187 sq mi (743,812 sq km); total area: 291,932 sq mi (756,102 sq km)

    Population (2022 est.): 18,430,408 (growth rate: 0.66%); birth rate: 12.75/1000; infant mortality rate: 6.55/1000; life expectancy: 79.79

    Capital and largest city (2022 est.): Santiago, 6.857 million

    Other large cities: Valparaiso 1.000 million; Concepcion 902,000 (2022)

    Monetary unit: Chilean Peso

    National name: República de Chile

    Current Government Officials

    Language: Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2% note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2012 est.)

    Ethnicity/race: 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.)

    National Holiday: Independence Day, September 18

    Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Evangelical 18%, atheist or agnostic 4%, none 17% (2018 est.)

    Literacy rate: 96.4% (2017 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2020 est.): $445.88 billion; per capita $23,300. Real growth rate: 1.03%. Inflation: 2.2%. Unemployment: 7.22%. Arable land: 1.7%. Agriculture: grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber. Labor force: 7.249 million; agriculture 9.2%, industry 23.7%, services 67.1% (2013). Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles. Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower. Exports: $79.8 billion (2020 est.): copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine. Imports: $66.43 billion (2020 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas. Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, China, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina (2019).

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 2,567,938 (2020); mobile cellular: 25,068,249 (2020). 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 revenues and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations (2020). Internet hosts: 3,763,826 (2020). Internet users: 16,822,264 (2020).

    Transportation: Railways: total: 7,282 km (2014). Highways: total: 77,764 (2010). Waterways: 725 km. Ports and harbors: Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso. Airports: 481 (2021 est.).

    Major sources and definitions

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