Population of Chile

As of July 2026, the population of Chile is 19.7 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 39 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.19%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 33.6 years in 2016 to 37.3 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 81.8 years and population density is 26.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Population Growth

The population growth rate of Chile peaked in 1956, reaching around 2.16% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.2% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 341.66 thousand in 2018 to nearly 39.44 thousand in 2026.

Life Expectancy

In Chile, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 78.3 years in 2006 to 81.8 years in 2026, representing an increase of more than 3 years over the past 2 decades.

Most populous cities in Chile

Chile has several cities considered medium-sized by their number of inhabitants, but there are also some large ones. The most populous city is Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 4.8 million inhabitants. It is followed by Puente Alto, Santiago Metropolitan with 568.1 thousand and Maipú, Santiago Metropolitan with 503.6 thousand.

These are the 20 most populous cities in Chile: