Country Fast Facts: Chile

Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile.

Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions.

It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated.

A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990.

Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have 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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population:
16,601,707 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

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Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.2% (male 1,966,017/female 1,877,963)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 5,625,963/female 5,628,146)
65 years and over: 9.1% (male 627,746/female 875,872) (2009 est.)

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Median age:
total: 31.4 years
male: 30.4 years
female: 32.4 years (2009 est.)

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Population growth rate:
0.881% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

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Birth rate:
14.64 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143

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Death rate:
5.84 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

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Net migration rate:
NA (2009 est.)

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Urbanization:
urban population: 88% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

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Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.71 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 165
male: 8.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.34 years
country comparison to the world: 56
male: 74.07 years
female: 80.77 years (2009 est.)

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Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
31,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70

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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72

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Nationality:
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean

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Ethnic groups:
white and white-Amerindian 95.4%, Mapuche 4%, other indigenous groups 0.6% (2002 census)

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Religions:
Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)

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Languages:
Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English

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Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 95.8%
female: 95.6% (2002 census)

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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2006)

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Education expenditures:
3.2% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 141

Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade and a reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. Exports account for 40% of GDP, with commodities making up some three-quarters of total exports. Copper alone provides one-third of government revenue. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the situation in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first time in more than 15 years. In the years since then, growth has averaged 4% per year. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004. Chile claims to have more bilateral or regional trade agreements than any other country. It has 57 such agreements (not all of them full free trade agreements), including with the European Union, Mercosur, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico. Over the past five years, foreign direct investment inflows have quadrupled to some $17 billion in 2008, but FDI dropped to about $7 billion in 2009 in the face of diminished investment throughout the world. The Chilean government conducts a rule-based countercyclical fiscal policy, accumulating surpluses in sovereign wealth funds during periods of high copper prices and economic growth, and allowing deficit spending only during periods of low copper prices and growth. As of September 2008, those sovereign wealth funds - kept mostly outside the country and separate from Central Bank reserves - amounted to more than $20 billion. Chile used $4 billion from this fund to finance a fiscal stimulus package to fend off recession. The economy starting to show signs of a rebound in the fourth quarter, 2009, although GDP still fell more than 1% for the year. In December 2009, the OECD invited Chile to become a full member, after a two year period of compliance with organization mandates.

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GDP (purchasing power parity):
$244.3 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
$248 billion (2008 est.)
$240.3 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars

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GDP (official exchange rate):
$150.4 billion (2009 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate:
-1.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
3.2% (2008 est.)
4.7% (2007 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,700 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 76
$15,100 (2008 est.)
$14,700 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars

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GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.8%
industry: 50.5%
services: 44.7% (2008 est.)

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Labor force:
7.42 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

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Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13.2%
industry: 23%
services: 63.9% (2005)

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Unemployment rate:
10% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
7.75% (2008 est.)

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Population below poverty line:
18.2% (2005)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 41.7% (2006)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
54.9 (2003)
country comparison to the world: 15
57.1 (2000)

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Investment (gross fixed):
20.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87

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Budget:
revenues: $31.31 billion
expenditures: $37.87 billion (2009 est.)

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Public debt:
9% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
5.2% of GDP (2008 est.)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
8.7% (2008 est.)

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Central bank discount rate:
8.25% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 73
6% (31 December 2007)

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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.26% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 99
8.67% (31 December 2007)

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Stock of money:
$14.72 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 40
$16.6 billion (31 December 2007)

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Stock of quasi money:
$73.66 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 26
$80.42 billion (31 December 2007)

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Stock of domestic credit:
$116.4 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 36
$127.1 billion (31 December 2007)

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Market value of publicly traded shares:
$132.4 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 36
$212.9 billion (31 December 2007)
$174.6 billion (31 December 2006)

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Agriculture - products:
grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber

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

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Industrial production growth rate:
-3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94

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Electricity - production:
60.6 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

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Electricity - consumption:
57.29 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43

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Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)

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Electricity - imports:
1.628 billion kWh (2007 est.)

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Oil - production:
11,190 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

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Oil - consumption:
277,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

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Oil - exports:
49,250 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

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Oil - imports:
311,200 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37

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Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

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Natural gas - production:
1.65 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

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Natural gas - consumption:
2.34 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

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Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

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Natural gas - imports:
690 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58

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Natural gas - proved reserves:
97.97 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

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Current account balance:
-$50 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
-$3.44 billion (2008 est.)

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Exports:
$48.85 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
$66.46 billion (2008 est.)

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Exports - commodities:
copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine

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Exports - partners:
China 14.1%, US 11.3%, Japan 10.4%, Brazil 5.9%, South Korea 5.7%, Netherlands 5.2%, Italy 4.4% (2008)

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Imports:
$40.91 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$57.61 billion (2008 est.)

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Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas

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Imports - partners:
US 19.1%, China 11.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Argentina 8.8%, South Korea 5.5%, Japan 4.6% (2008)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$25.4 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$23.08 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Debt - external:
$60.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
$64.77 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$115 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
$108.3 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$32.07 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
$25.7 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

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Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar - 569.37 (2009), 509.02 (2008), 526.25 (2007), 530.29 (2006), 560.09 (2005)