Demographics of Chile
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| Those belonging to recognised indigenous communities (2002) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alacalufe | 2.622 | 0,02% | Mapuche | 604.349 | 4,00% |
| Atacameño | 21.015 | 0,14% | Quechua | 6.175 | 0,04% |
| Aymara | 48.501 | 0,32% | Rapanui | 4.647 | 0,03% |
| Colla | 3.198 | 0,02% | Yámana | 1.685 | 0,01% |
Chile is a relatively homogenous country, and most of its population is of mestizo origin in various degrees, the product of the racial mixture between colonial Spanish immigrants and the native Amerindian tribes. It is estimated that in 1570, Chile was inhabited by some 10,000 Spanish settlers, 10,000 mestizos and 600,000 indigenous people.
At present, and according to the 2002 Chilean Census, only 4.6% of the population (692,192 people) declared themselves indigenous and belonging to one of the eight recognized ethnic groups in the current legislation - that they still practice and speak an indigenous culture and language. Of these, 87.3% declared themselves Mapuche. In the 1992 Census, by contrast, a total of 10.5% of the total population declared themselves indigenous, irrespective of whether they currently practiced or spoke a native culture and language. Almost one million people (9.7% of the total) declared themselves Mapuche; 0.6% declared to be Aymara, and a 0.2% reported as Rapanui.
Small numbers of non-Spanish European immigrants arrived in Chile - mainly to the northern and southern extremities of the country - during the XIX and XX centuries, including English, Irish, Italians, French, and Balkans. In 1848 a small but noteworthy German immigration took place, sponsored by the Chilean government with aims of colonising the southern region. With time, and although undertaken by no more than 7,000 people, that German immigration influenced in a certain way the cultural composition of the southern provinces of Valdivia, Llanquihue and Osorno. To these immigrations it is also worth mentioning the Korean and Palestinian communities. The volume of immigrants from neighbouring countries to Chile during these same periods has been of a similar value.
Image:Chile-demography.png During the last decade immigration to Chile has doubled to 184,464 people in 2002, originating primarily from the neighbouring countries of Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. On the other hand, although emigration of Chileans has decreased during the last decade, it is estimated that 857,781 Chileans live abroad, 50.1% of those being in Argentina, 13.3% in the United States and a 4.9% in Sweden. Interregional population mobility within Chile has also increased in the last decades causing a massive migration from the rural areas towards the larger cities. While in the south-central regions of the country more than 80% of the population was local born (in the Region of Biobío levels reach 86.11%), in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago only 71% of the population was local born, while in the more extreme regions such as the Region of Magallanes this number reaches only 55%.
About 85% of Chile's population lives in urban areas, with 40% living in Greater Santiago. Chile's population growth is among the lowest in Latin America, at around 0.97%, it comes third only to Uruguay and Cuba.
Demographic data
Population
- 15,980,912 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,062,735/female 1,970,913)
- 15-64 years: 66.7% (male 5,320,870/female 5,342,771)
- 65 years and over: 8% (male 534,737/female 748,886) (2005 est.)
Median age
- Total: 30.07 years
- Male: 29.17 years
- Female: 31.05 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate
- 0.97% (2005 est.)
Birth rate
- 15.44 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate
- 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate
- 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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: 0.71 male(s)/female
- Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- Total: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
- Male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
- Female: 8.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- Total population: 76.58 years
- Male: 73.3 years
- Female: 80.03 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 2.02 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2003 est.)
- People living with HIV/AIDS: 26,000 (2003 est.)
- Deaths: 1,400 (2003 est.)
Nationality
- Noun: Chilean(s)
- Adjective: Chilean
Ethnic groups
- Mestizo 93%, Amerindian 3%, White 2%, other 2%
Religions
- Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL%
Languages
- Spanish
Literacy
- Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
- Total population: 96.2%
- Male: 96.4%
- Female: 96.1% (2003 est.)