Chile population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · South America
19,945,850 people in 2026 (projected). Chile’s fertility rate has fallen to about 1.1, leaving a shrinking base beneath a bulge of adults in their thirties enlarged by immigration.
- 2026 population
- 19.9Mrank 67 of 237
- Median age
- 37.4 yearsoldest rank 89
- Fertility rate
- 1.12births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older15.1% age 65+
Chile population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Chile age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 16.1% of the population, while 15.1% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 68.8% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Chile’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 45.3: about 45 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (23.4 children and 21.9 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Chile’s population pyramid
A fertility fall in two stages
Chile’s fertility decline came in two stages. The total fertility rate fell from about 4.7 children per woman in 1960 to 2.7 by 1980, then levelled off for a decade before dropping again: it reached replacement level around 2000, 1.84 by 2010 and about 1.1 today, a level more usually associated with East Asia or Southern Europe; the lowest fertility rates ranking shows how it compares. The first stage turned the expansive pyramid of 1950 into the column-like lower half visible in 2000. The second stage is now cutting into the base: the 0–4 band in 2026, born about 2021–25, is roughly 28% smaller than the 10–14 band and only about 54% the size of the 30–34 band.
Migration has reversed direction
For the second half of the twentieth century Chile lost people. The UN estimates net emigration of about 1.1 million between 1950 and 1999, a period that included political exile during the military government of 1973–1990. Since 2000 the flow has turned around, with net immigration of about 1.4 million to 2023, much of it from Peru, Venezuela, Haiti, Colombia and Bolivia.
The arrivals are concentrated among young adults, and the pyramid shows it. The children aged 5–9 in 2000 numbered about 1.43 million; the same cohort, aged 30–34 in 2026, numbers about 1.64 million. Without immigration a cohort shrinks slightly with age, so growth of this kind means migrants have joined it. As a result, the widest part of the 2026 pyramid is ages 25–39, and men slightly outnumber women through the working ages, with about 102 men per 100 women at ages 25–44. Above 60 the usual female majority appears, reaching 77 men per 100 women at 80–84.
An early peak and rapid ageing
Under the UN medium scenario Chile’s population peaks at about 20.5 million in 2041, deaths first exceed births in 2036, and the median age rises from 37.4 in 2026 to almost 49 by 2050, when about 27% of the population is projected to be 65 or older. Continued net immigration of about 0.7 million in 2026–2050 is assumed; without it the decline would come sooner. Chile’s current age structure is closest to those of Costa Rica, Iceland and Mauritius, and the population ageing guide explains why a narrow base and long life expectancy, now about 81, combine to push the median age up so quickly.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
No five-year band under age 80 is more than 10% larger or smaller than both of its neighbours, so Chile’s 2026 pyramid has a comparatively smooth profile without sharp bulges or notches.
Births outnumber deaths in 2026; the medium scenario projects deaths to exceed births from 2036. People aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children under 15 by 2030.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Chile is projected to record 169,096 births (about 463 births a day) and 134,953 deaths, a natural increase of 34,143. Net migration adds +48,106 people, ranking #45 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 5,467,437 births, 2,525,075 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +1,359,643. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +722,598 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 83.5 years55.1 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 79.9 years51.3 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 20.9 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 5.2per 1,000 births · 124 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 6.0per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 31.7 yearssex ratio at birth 104.4
Women in Chile are projected to live 3.6 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 124 to 5.2 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #166 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 31.7 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Chile
The median age of 37.4 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.12 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 81.7 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,945,850 | #67 | Largest first |
| Median age | 37.4 years | #89 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.12 | #223 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | +0.4% | #146 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 81.7 years | #46 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 15.1% | #83 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Chile
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30–34 | 1,641,619 | 8.2% | 829.2K / 812.4K |
| 2 | 35–39 | 1,632,478 | 8.2% | 825.1K / 807.4K |
| 3 | 25–29 | 1,477,448 | 7.4% | 747.1K / 730.3K |
| 4 | 40–44 | 1,474,467 | 7.4% | 742.8K / 731.6K |
| 5 | 45–49 | 1,360,245 | 6.8% | 683.6K / 676.6K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Chile has 9,914,315 males and 10,031,534 females. That is 98.8 males per 100 females, ranking #102 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.7% of the population and females for 50.3%. There are 117,219 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 84.7 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 104.4 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Chile has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 6,628,576 in 1950 to 19,945,850 in 2026, a change of 201%. Over the same span, median age moved from 19.4 to 37.4 years.
The under-15 share changed from 38.4% to 16.1%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 3.3% to 15.1%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Chile’s population is projected to remain broadly stable, reaching 20,320,306 in 2050. The median age changes from 37.4 to 48.9 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 11.6 percentage points to 26.7%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 11.5%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest projected population of 20,543,285 in 2041. That turning point depends on the medium scenario and may move in later revisions. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6,628,576 | 19.4 | 4.84 | 53.2 | 248,632 | 99,248 | −25,357 | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 8,153,350 | 19.3 | 4.70 | 57.2 | 287,886 | 89,427 | −27,184 | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 9,845,344 | 19.7 | 3.78 | 62.6 | 283,255 | 82,846 | −36,079 | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 11,508,550 | 22.0 | 2.74 | 69.5 | 267,387 | 69,114 | −28,060 | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 13,437,176 | 24.8 | 2.58 | 73.7 | 297,445 | 70,507 | −1,274 | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 15,503,635 | 28.0 | 2.05 | 77.1 | 253,044 | 77,693 | +7,067 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 17,181,464 | 31.7 | 1.84 | 79.1 | 244,494 | 98,971 | +26,048 | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 19,370,624 | 34.7 | 1.31 | 79.3 | 195,578 | 143,199 | +26,042 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 19,658,835 | 36.0 | 1.17 | 81.2 | 176,196 | 127,691 | +62,679 | +0.6% |
| 2024* | 19,764,771 | 36.4 | 1.14 | 81.4 | 172,406 | 130,047 | +58,316 | +0.5% |
| 2026* | 19,945,850 | 37.4 | 1.12 | 81.7 | 169,096 | 134,953 | +48,106 | +0.4% |
| 2030* | 20,233,183 | 39.5 | 1.13 | 82.4 | 166,277 | 145,150 | +39,785 | +0.3% |
| 2040* | 20,542,103 | 44.5 | 1.19 | 84.1 | 155,903 | 176,802 | +25,475 | +0.0% |
| 2050* | 20,320,306 | 48.9 | 1.24 | 85.5 | 143,816 | 210,282 | +18,695 | -0.2% |
| 2060* | 19,536,589 | 52.2 | 1.29 | 86.8 | 121,083 | 236,254 | +11,489 | -0.5% |
| 2070* | 18,276,830 | 55.3 | 1.33 | 88.0 | 109,478 | 255,628 | +6,244 | -0.8% |
| 2080* | 16,758,877 | 57.4 | 1.36 | 89.1 | 101,783 | 270,607 | +5,397 | -1.0% |
| 2090* | 15,064,884 | 57.5 | 1.38 | 90.2 | 90,555 | 264,381 | +1,528 | -1.1% |
| 2100* | 13,430,616 | 57.4 | 1.41 | 91.3 | 80,094 | 236,051 | +1,814 | -1.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 455,331 | 437,053 | 892,384 | 4.5% |
| 5–9 | 552,224 | 532,311 | 1,084,535 | 5.4% |
| 10–14 | 631,144 | 608,102 | 1,239,246 | 6.2% |
| 15–19 | 629,524 | 605,912 | 1,235,436 | 6.2% |
| 20–24 | 643,230 | 622,552 | 1,265,782 | 6.3% |
| 25–29 | 747,102 | 730,346 | 1,477,448 | 7.4% |
| 30–34 | 829,188 | 812,431 | 1,641,619 | 8.2% |
| 35–39 | 825,102 | 807,376 | 1,632,478 | 8.2% |
| 40–44 | 742,833 | 731,634 | 1,474,467 | 7.4% |
| 45–49 | 683,629 | 676,616 | 1,360,245 | 6.8% |
| 50–54 | 645,116 | 646,703 | 1,291,819 | 6.5% |
| 55–59 | 607,686 | 621,359 | 1,229,045 | 6.2% |
| 60–64 | 545,143 | 573,529 | 1,118,672 | 5.6% |
| 65–69 | 463,941 | 501,296 | 965,237 | 4.8% |
| 70–74 | 366,305 | 408,933 | 775,238 | 3.9% |
| 75–79 | 260,010 | 307,024 | 567,034 | 2.8% |
| 80–84 | 150,976 | 194,902 | 345,878 | 1.7% |
| 85–89 | 82,480 | 118,620 | 201,100 | 1.0% |
| 90–94 | 38,565 | 64,233 | 102,798 | 0.5% |
| 95–99 | 12,670 | 25,157 | 37,827 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 2,117 | 5,444 | 7,561 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Chile’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Iceland97% overlap · median age 36.6
- Dominica96% overlap · median age 36.6
- Costa Rica96% overlap · median age 35.7
- Bahamas96% overlap · median age 35.7
- Mauritius96% overlap · median age 38.3
- Uruguay96% overlap · median age 36.7
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Chile.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Chile Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chile/
MLA
“Chile Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chile/.
Chicago
World Population Pyramid. “Chile Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/chile/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Chile in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Chile's population in 2026 is projected at 19,945,850.
What is the median age in Chile?
The projected median age in Chile in 2026 is 37.4 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Chile?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.12 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Chile's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will remain broadly stable, from 19.9M to 20.3M.
What share of Chile is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 15.1% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 26.7%.
How many babies are born in Chile each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 169,096 births and 134,953 deaths in 2026, about 463 births a day. Births exceed deaths by 34,143.
What is life expectancy in Chile for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 83.5 years for women and 79.9 years for men, a gap of 3.6 years in favour of women.
Does Chile have more immigrants or emigrants?
Chile is projected to gain about 48,106 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +1,359,643.
What is the sex ratio in Chile?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 98.8 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.