Total Population: 16,746,491

Annual Growth Rate: 1.0%

Density: 23 Inhabitants/km²

Urban Population: 88.4%

Population of main cities including suburbs: Santiago (5,400,000); Valparaíso (800,000); Concepción (670,000); La Serena (300,000); Antofagasta (285,000).

Ethnic Origins: 90% descendants of Europeans, 5% Amerindians of whom 87% belong to the Mapuche ethnic group.

Official Language: Spanish.

Other Languages Spoken: Indian dialects

Business Language: Spanish, English

Religion: Catholics 88.8%, Protestants 11%, Jews 0.2%.

Literacy Rate: 95.7%

Area: 756,630 km²

Type of State: A Republic based on parliamentary democracy where the President enjoys considerable powers.

Type of Economy: Upper-middle-income economy, Emerging Financial Market.
Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It is the world's leading exporter of copper and salmon. Chile has certain comparative advantages in South America especially in terms of infrastructure, its qualified workforce and the flexibility of the job market. According to the latest Ease of Doing Business index (the World Bank), Chile is listed second in Latin America and the Caribbean, after Puerto Rico, regarding legislation favorable to business. According to the index of world competitiveness proposed by the World Economic Forum, Chile is in 26th place. This index is constructed on the basis of three main indicators (economic fundamentals, innovation, efficiency).

HDI*: 0.874/1

HDI (World Rank): 40th/177

Telephone Code:
To Make a Call From Chile, Dial 00
To Make a Call to Chile, Dial +56

Internet Suffix: .cl

Computers: 14.1 per 100 Inhabitants

Telephone Lines: 21.0 per 100 Inhabitants

Internet Users: 32.5 per 100 Inhabitants

Access to Electricity: 99% of the Population