Chile Flag

Chile

Capital:
Santiago
Continent:
South America
Largest Cities:
Santiago, Puente Alto, Antofagasta
Abbreviation:
CHL

Chile is a country in South America, known for the Atacama Desert and Andes Mountains. It has a population of nearly 20 million, making it the 66th largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Santiago. Chile has a market-oriented economy.

19.9M
Total Population
66
Population Rank
26.71
Density (km²)
95.1K 0.5%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Chile

Chile's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 0.99 to 1, with a median male age of 36.79 years old and a median female age of 38.13 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 33 and 32 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Chile Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Chile Population Clock

Chile Population*
19,824,567
Births per Day
466
Deaths per Day
363
Immigrations per Day
142
Net Change per Day
245
2025 Population Change*
9,065

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 3.1 minutes

1 death

Every 4.0 minutes

1 immigrant

Every 10.1 minutes

1 person

Every 5.9 minutes

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Santiago4,837,295
Puente Alto510,417
Antofagasta309,832
Vina del Mar294,551
Valparaiso282,448
Talcahuano252,968
San Bernardo249,858
Temuco238,129
Iquique227,499
Concepcion215,413

Chile Overview

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a South American country with a long yet narrow strip of land that sits between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains with a total area of 756,096 square kilometers (291,930 square miles), making it the 38th largest country by area.

The last official census took place in Chile back in 2002, which placed the population at 15.1 million. The official 2012 estimate placed Chile’s population at 17.4 million.

Chile’s population has grown steadily over the past 60 years, rising from only 6 million in 1950 to almost triple that number — more than 18 million people now call Chile home. From 1960 to 2012, Chile’s population grew 127%, and now represents 0.25% of the world’s population. That means 1 in 404 people on earth is a Chilean resident.

It is one of the most prosperous and stable in the region, leading Latin America in income per capita, human development, globalization, and low corruption perception.

Chile Demographics

Chile is a very multiethnic society, although studies on the country’s ethnic structure vary a great deal. One study found that 30% of Chile’s population is of Caucasian origin. A genetic study by the University of Chile found that the average Chilean’s genes are 35% Amerindian and 64% Caucasian.

Many Chileans self-identify as white, and the 2011 Latinobarometro survey found that 59% of surveyed Chileans considered themselves white, while 25% answered “mestizo” and 8% answered “indigenous.”

Chile has had relatively little European immigration over the years, although it has had waves of Spanish and non-Spanish immigrants, such as Germans, Italians, Irish and French.

It’s also estimated that 5% of Chile’s population is descended from Asian immigrants, mostly from the Middle East. The East Asian population of Chile has grown recently, and there is a fairly large population of Roma people.

Chile Religion, Economy and Politics

The majority of Chileans practice some form of Christianity, 54% of the total population and Roman Catholic, and 14% are Protestant. The remaining 32% of people, a fairly large proportion compared to many countries, are religiously unaffiliated.

Since the turn of the 21st century, the economy has been doing well in Chile, significantly improving the lives of its citizens. It is so stable, in fact, that it is considered South America’s most prosperous and stable nation. Chile’s main business sectors are agriculture and mining, as well as service industries like finance and tourism. Chile has also flourished due to its strong commitment to free trade and by gaining many foreign investors.

Chile Population History

At the 2002 census, it was confirmed that there were 15,116,435 people living in South America’s longest and thinnest country. It was suggested at the time that the population of Chile was in severe decline due to an alarming fall in the birth rate. However, that suggestion is at odds with the latest estimate from the Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Chile’s National Statistics Institute), which claimed that Chile’s population in 2011 had grown to 17,248,450.