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Chile is a relatively homogenous country and most of its population is of mestizo descent, the product of the racial mixture between colonial Spanish immigrants and the native Amerindian tribes, in varying degrees.

About 85% of the country'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.

Ethnography

The ethnic composition of Chileans is marked by a socio-genetic gradient where Amerindian admixture typically correlates to social levels. Amerindian contribution tends to be strongest in the lower echelons of society, with the middle class majority presenting a more balanced degree of both European and Amerindian ancestry, while those in the upper class tend to register the lowest degree of Amerindian contribution. Almost the entirety of the population, however, presents a racially mixed origin, and only a small minority can truly be said to be unmixed European or unmixed Amerindian. The unmixed Amerindian population is in fact said to be now extinct.

Nevertheless, based solely on physical appearance, between 5 and 10% of the current population would be classified as Amerindian, some 30% would be classified as white, and the remaining majority, between 60 and 65%, would be the discernably mestizo population that has a certain tendancy towards a slightly greater input on the European side and averages a racial mixture not much lower than the average ratio for Chile's overall population. According to the Program of Human Genetics of the University of Chile, the average ratio of racial mixture for Chile's overall population, calculated by the use of nuclear markers, is approximately 60% European contribution and 40% Amerindian, depending on the socioeconomic level. According to Rothhammer (1987/2004), that average ratio stands at 57% European contribution and 43% Amerindian.

Indigenous communities

According to the 1992 Chilean census, 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.

At the 2002 census, only indigenous people that still practiced or spoke a native culture and language were surveyed: 4.6% of the population (692,192 people) fit that description; of these, 87.3% declared themselves Mapuche.

Immigration

Relative to its overall population, Chile never experienced any large scale wave of immigrants. Compared to neighbouring Argentina or Uruguay, where European immigration doubled to tripled their existing populations, the total number of immigrants to Chile, both originating from other Latin American countries and all other (mostly European) countries, never surpassed 4% of its total population. This is not to say that immigrants were not important to the evolution of Chilean society and the Chilean nation.

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 the cultural composition of the southern provinces of Valdivia, Llanquihue and Osorno. Although the total number of these European immigrants was relatively small, and they did not achieve much more than to add a non-Spanish element to the upper classes, their presence did transform the country technologically, economically, religiously, and culturally. The prevalence of non-Hispanic European surnames among the governing body of modern Chile are a testament to their disproportionate contribution and influence in the country. To these immigrations it is also worth mentioning the Korean and especially Palestinian communities, the latter being the largest colony of that people outside of the Arab world. The volume of immigrants from neighbouring countries to Chile during those same periods was of a similar value.

Currently, immigration from neighboring countries to Chile is greatest, and during the last decade immigration to Chile has doubled to 184,464 people in 2002, originating primarily from Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. 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.

In regards to emigration of Chileans, the phenomenon has decreased during the last decade, and it is estimated that 857,781 Chileans live abroad, 50.1% of those being in Argentina, 13.3% in the United States, 4.9% in Sweden, and around 2% in Australia, with the rest being scattered in smaller numbers accross the globe.

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%.

Demographic data

Population

16,134,219 (April 2006 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.7% (male 2,035,278/female 1,944,754)

15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,403,525/female 5,420,497)

65 years and over: 8.2% (male 555,075/female 775,090) (2006 est.)

Median age

Total: 30.4 years

Male: 29.5 years

Female: 31.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.94% (2006 est.)

Birth rate

15.23 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.72 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 8.58 deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 76.77 years

Male: 73.49 years

Female: 80.21 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2 children born/woman (2006 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, in various degrees of admixture marked by a sociogenetic gradient (see above), over 90%;

Officially recognised Amerindian population as cited by and according to the current parameters of the Chilean National Institute of Statistics, 4.6%;

Whites and others constitute the remainder.

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.)

References

• Template:CIA WFB 2006

• Chilean society
• Demographics by country