Chile: Country Report | 2024
AI Generated Analysis based on UNHCR Forced Displacement Statisitics.
Executive Summary
Of course. Here is the executive summary.
Key Trends: Displacement in Chile, 2024
A Hemisphere in Motion: Chile at the Epicentre of a Regional Crisis
The Americas are witnessing a displacement crisis of unprecedented scale, and Chile stands at its heart. By 2024, the country is hosting a staggering 643,000 forcibly displaced and stateless people—a figure driven almost entirely by the protracted crisis in Venezuela. This influx has placed immense pressure on national systems and redefined Chile’s role as a major host country in the region. The vast majority of these individuals, over 81 per cent, are not formally recognized as refugees but are categorized as ‘others of concern,’ highlighting a population in urgent need of international protection and stable legal pathways.
A Protection System Under Immense Strain
While Chile continues to shoulder a significant responsibility, its national asylum system is under severe strain. A growing backlog of cases reveals a critical gap between the number of people seeking safety and the capacity to process their claims. Disturbingly, the vast majority of outcomes are not substantive decisions but administrative closures, suggesting many asylum-seekers face procedural barriers that prevent their claims from being heard. For those who do receive a decision, outcomes are highly divergent, with recognition rates for different nationalities ranging from less than 1 per cent to over 92 per cent, underscoring the profound challenges in ensuring consistent access to protection.
The Data Void: A Crisis of Durable Solutions
Beyond the immediate protection challenges lies a deeper crisis: a near-total absence of data on durable solutions. While Chile has made commendable efforts to grant refugee status, there is a complete lack of information tracking whether these individuals are able to locally integrate, resettle, or otherwise rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. This critical data gap risks creating a reality of “protection in name only,” where individuals are left in a protracted state of uncertainty. Without investment in systems that support and track long-term solutions, we cannot bridge the gap from dependency to self-reliance for the hundreds of thousands who have sought refuge in Chile.
Population Overview
Population Overview: Displacement in the Americas
Chile continues to be a significant host country within the Americas, with the population of forcibly displaced and stateless persons reaching 643,000 by early 2024. This figure represents a substantial increase over the past five years, driven primarily by the ongoing crisis in Venezuela and mixed movements throughout the region.
Behind this stark number, the data reveals a population profile dominated by ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’, who account for over 81 per cent of the total, numbering more than 523,000 individuals. This category largely comprises people displaced from Venezuela in need of international protection who have yet to receive formal refugee status. In contrast, the formally recognized refugee and asylum-seeker populations remain comparatively small, at 2,443 and 56,100, respectively.
The demographic profile of this displaced population is characterized by a significant concentration of individuals in the prime working-age group of 18 to 59 years. This large cohort of adults highlights both their potential for socio-economic contribution and their urgent need for access to livelihoods, formal labour markets, and local integration pathways.
An analysis of recent trends underscores the dynamic nature of this situation. Between early 2023 and 2024, the number of people categorized as being in refugee-like situations grew substantially by nearly 88,000, a 20 per cent increase. This shift, which coincides with adjustments in other statistical categories, reflects evolving registration practices that better capture the protection needs of this group. Taken together, these trends reaffirm Chile’s crucial role as a host country and underscore the pressing need for continued support to national systems to ensure protection, assistance, and durable solutions for all those forced to flee.
Demographics
AI Insight: Treemap chart of populations of concern in Chile, where ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’ represent the largest group, accounting for over 81% of the total 643,000 individuals as of 2024., This treemap visualization provides a detailed breakdown of the 643,000 individuals classified as populations of concern in Chile as of 2024. The area of each rectangle is proportional to the size of the population group it represents.
The data is heavily dominated by a single category: ‘Others of concern to UNHCR’, which numbers 523,727 individuals, constituting approximately 81.4% of the total. This category typically includes individuals who are in a refugee-like situation but have not been formally recognized as such, a significant portion of whom are displaced from Venezuela.
The remaining categories are substantially smaller. The next largest groups are ‘Venezuelans displaced abroad’ with 57,600 individuals and ‘Asylum-seekers’ with 56,100. These are followed by ‘Refugees’ (2,443 individuals) and ‘Stateless persons’ (844 individuals). The categories for ‘Returned refugees’ and ‘Returned internally displaced persons (IDPs)’ both report zero individuals for this period. The statistical distribution is highly skewed, with a median population size of 2,443, which is far below the mean of 91,865, further highlighting the overwhelming majority held by the largest group.
AI Insight: Population pyramid of the age and gender of populations of concern in Chile, where the 18-59 age group comprises the vast majority of both males and females., This population pyramid illustrates the age and gender demographics of 2,405,728 forcibly displaced and stateless persons in Chile as of 2024. The data shows a nearly equal overall gender distribution.
The most prominent feature of this demographic structure is the significant concentration of individuals in the working-age bracket of 18-59 years. This single group accounts for approximately 37.4% of the male population and 36.1% of the female population, making it by far the largest cohort.
In contrast, all other age groups are substantially smaller. Children and youth aged 0-4, 5-11, and 12-17, as well as the elderly population aged 60 and over, each represent less than 6% of the total for each gender. The shape of the pyramid is constrictive at the base and top, bulging heavily in the middle, which is characteristic of a population dominated by working-age adults rather than a large youth dependency.
Trends Over Time
AI Insight: Stacked column chart of population types in Chile from 2019 to 2024, where the total number of people of concern increased dramatically, driven by a sharp rise in the ‘Others of concern’ category., This stacked column chart details the composition of populations of concern in Chile, measured in thousands, for each year from 2019 to 2024. The horizontal axis represents the year, and the vertical axis indicates the number of people. Each column is segmented by population type, including Refugees, Asylum-seekers, and Others of concern.
The statistical profile reveals a significant overall trend: a substantial increase in the total population of concern over this period. This is evidenced by the highly skewed distribution of values, which range from zero to a maximum of 523,727, while the median value is only 2,050. This indicates that while most population segments are relatively small, one category has grown exceptionally large, dominating the total count in more recent years. This surge is primarily within the ‘Others of concern’ category. The data for ‘Returned refugees’ and ‘Returned IDPs’ consistently shows zero values for this period and are therefore not represented in the chart.
AI Insight: A bar chart of the change in population groups in Chile from 2023 to 2024, where people in refugee-like situations increased by 87,999 while the ‘others of concern’ category decreased by 1,708., This horizontal bar chart illustrates the changes in the size of various forcibly displaced and stateless population groups in Chile between the start of 2023 and early 2024. The chart presents both the absolute numerical change and the corresponding percentage change for each group, with increases shown as bars extending to the right of a central zero axis and decreases to the left.
Key changes observed:
Increases: - People in refugee-like situations: This group saw the most significant growth, increasing by 87,999 individuals (+20%). This category largely comprises individuals from Venezuela in need of international protection. - Refugees: The refugee population grew by 514 people (+25%). - Asylum-seekers: There was an increase of 53 individuals in this category (+0.3%). - Stateless persons: This group saw a small increase of 8 people (+2%).
Decreases: - Others of concern: This category experienced the largest decrease, with a reduction of 1,708 people (-84%). - A sixth, unspecified group saw a minor decrease of 15 people.
Context & Implications: The data highlights the continuing trend of forced displacement in the Americas, with Chile remaining a key destination country. The substantial increase in ‘People in refugee-like situations’ underscores the ongoing impact of the Venezuela crisis and the significant protection and integration needs of this population. UNHCR’s work in Chile focuses on supporting the national asylum system, enhancing registration capacity, providing legal and material assistance, and promoting local integration solutions for all persons of concern. The decrease in the ‘Others of concern’ category could be attributed to various factors, including the resolution of individual cases or adjustments in data recording methodologies.
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Chile in 2024, where one country accounts for a significantly larger number of refugees (1,235) than the others., This horizontal bar chart displays the number of refugees in Chile as of 2024, broken down by their top nine countries of origin plus a consolidated ‘Other’ category. Each bar represents a country or category, with its length corresponding to the number of refugees.
The data reveals a highly skewed distribution. One country is the origin for 1,235 refugees, making it a significant outlier and the largest group by a substantial margin. The remaining nine categories show much smaller populations, ranging from a minimum of 23 people to a 75th percentile of 192 people. The median number of refugees per origin group is 105, whereas the mean is much higher at 244, pulled up by the one large group. This visualization indicates that while Chile hosts refugees from various nations, the population is dominated by individuals from a single primary country of origin.
Geography & Movements
Geography and Movements: Displacement Dynamics in the Americas
The data reveals a complex dual role for Chile within the regional displacement landscape, positioning it as both a significant host country and a country of origin for those seeking international protection. The most significant trend shaping this dynamic is the substantial and growing influx of forcibly displaced people from Venezuela. The data from 2019 to 2025 illustrates a dramatic increase, with the Venezuelan population expanding to become the overwhelmingly dominant group, reaching nearly 670,000. In stark contrast, populations from other origins have remained consistently small and stable, underscoring the specific and immense pressure the situation in Venezuela has placed on Chile’s protection capacity and social services.
This pattern of a single predominant origin is also reflected in Chile’s recognized refugee population. While smaller in scale, the data for 2024 is highly skewed, with refugees from one country of origin numbering 1,235, a figure significantly larger than all other origin groups combined. This highlights that specific crises are the primary drivers of protection needs within the country.
At the same time, Chileans are themselves a population of concern in other nations. The geographic distribution of forcibly displaced people originating from Chile is highly concentrated. Behind these stark numbers, the data reveals a pattern of right-skewed distribution, with one single destination country hosting 102,126 individuals. This constitutes a figure more than seven times the median for the top ten host countries, highlighting the existence of specific and well-defined migration corridors. While Chileans have found refuge in dozens of countries, this heavy concentration in a primary country of asylum suggests that factors such as proximity, socio-economic links, or established diaspora communities heavily influence displacement movements from the country. Together, these trends paint a picture of a nation deeply integrated into the region’s mobility patterns, simultaneously providing refuge while also seeing its own nationals seek it elsewhere.
AI Insight: Choropleth map of destination countries for people of concern from Chile in 2024, where the population is highly concentrated, with one country hosting 12,800 individuals., This world map displays the distribution of displaced populations originating from Chile as of 2024, encompassing refugees, asylum-seekers, and other persons of concern to UNHCR. The data is visualized using a color gradient, where darker shades indicate a higher number of individuals hosted by a country.
According to the statistical profile, data is available for 27 destination countries. The distribution is extremely right-skewed, indicating a heavy concentration of the displaced population in a few locations. The maximum number of individuals hosted by a single country is 12,800. In stark contrast, the median number of individuals per country is only 40, and 75% of the countries host 168 people or fewer. This significant difference between the maximum and the median highlights that while Chileans have sought protection in various nations, one primary destination country accommodates the vast majority.
Origin of Displaced Populations
AI Insight: Horizontal bar chart of the top 9 countries of origin for refugees in Chile in 2024, where one country accounts for a significantly larger number of refugees (1,235) than all others., This horizontal bar chart displays the number of refugees in Chile by their top nine countries of origin for the year 2024, with an additional category for ‘Others’. The data is highly skewed, with one country of origin representing a significant outlier with 1,235 refugees. The remaining eight countries have much smaller refugee populations. The median number of refugees per origin country is 105, which is a more representative figure for the central tendency than the mean of 244.3, as the mean is inflated by the outlier. The population counts for the middle 50% of the origin countries range from approximately 74 to 192 individuals. The minimum number of refugees from a listed country of origin is 23.
AI Insight: Alluvium chart of the evolution of forcibly displaced population origins in Chile from 2019 to 2025, where the population from Venezuela has grown substantially to become the predominant group, while the population from other origins has remained small and stable., This alluvium chart illustrates the changing composition of the forcibly displaced population in Chile by country of origin between 2019 and 2025. The data is presented in thousands and is categorized into two groups: ‘Venezuela’ and ‘Other’.
The most prominent trend is the dramatic increase in the number of forcibly displaced people from Venezuela. This is visualized by a flow that starts smaller in 2019 and widens significantly over the years, indicating a substantial influx. Statistical analysis shows a maximum value of 669,408 people, which corresponds to the Venezuelan population in the later years of the period.
In stark contrast, the population from ‘Other’ origins remains a consistently small and stable group throughout the same period. This is represented by a very thin, almost flat flow at the bottom of the chart, with numbers corresponding to the lower end of the data range (minimum value of 8,378).
The visualization effectively highlights a major demographic shift within Chile’s forcibly displaced population, driven almost entirely by the escalating crisis in Venezuela, which has made it the overwhelmingly dominant country of origin by 2025.
Destination
AI Insight: Bar chart of the top 10 destination countries for forcibly displaced people from Chile as of 2024, where the top destination hosts a significantly larger population than the other nine., This bar chart displays the distribution of forcibly displaced people originating from Chile across their top 10 destination countries as of 2024. The data reveals a highly skewed distribution, with a significant concentration in the primary country of asylum.
Statistically, the number of displaced persons in these ten countries ranges from a minimum of 5,462 to a maximum of 102,126. The median number of displaced persons is 14,393, while the mean is substantially higher at 27,186. This difference highlights the strong influence of the top destination country, which hosts a population nearly four times the average and over seven times the median of this group. The large standard deviation (30,105) further confirms the wide variance in population sizes among these host nations. Half of the countries in this top-10 list host between 7,385 and 38,070 individuals from Chile. This concentration suggests the presence of specific migration corridors, which may be influenced by factors such as proximity, linguistic ties, or established diaspora communities, warranting further investigation for targeted resource allocation and policy support.
