Photo: Alexandre Buisse ( ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Chile: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Chile is placed 101st of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 43.24 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.38 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
101st
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Chile on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Chile’s is from 2022 · CC BY 4.0
43.24
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Chile: 43.24. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in South America
- 39.18 Suriname
- Land neighbours
- Argentina 42.39 · Bolivia 42.05 · Peru 40.66
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Chile’s is from 2022 · CC BY 4.0
0.38
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Chile: 0.38. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in South America
- 0.06 Uruguay
- Land neighbours
- Argentina 0.35 · Bolivia 0.76 · Peru 1.74
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
36.8
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Chile: 36.8. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in South America
- 9.3 Guyana
- Land neighbours
- Bolivia 10.5 · Peru 34.8
02Over time
Which way Chile is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
ChileWorld median
Chile fell from 51.48 in 2003 to 43.24 in 2022; the world median went from 35.46 to 33.91.
Every year’s figures
Year Chile World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 43.24 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 47.00 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 — 35.25 2017 45.27 34.86 2016 — 34.47 2015 45.34 35.52 2014 — 34.79 2013 46.82 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 46.87 33.96 2010 — 33.71 2009 47.40 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 47.71 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 51.48 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
ChileWorld median
Chile fell from 2.86 in 2003 to 0.38 in 2022; the world median went from 1.65 to 0.42.
Every year’s figures
Year Chile World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 0.38 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 0.94 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 — 0.460 2017 0.23 0.300 2016 — 0.440 2015 0.24 0.500 2014 — 0.635 2013 0.27 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 0.48 0.430 2010 — 0.530 2009 0.88 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 1.01 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 2.86 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
ChileWorld median
Chile fell from 50.1 in 2017 to 36.8 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Chile World median 2025 36.8 26.40 2024 38.1 27.10 2023 42.3 27.15 2022 42.5 27.90 2021 44.5 29.65 2020 51.7 31.80 2019 47.5 29.05 2018 47.9 29.85 2017 50.1 32.40
03In context
Chile beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Chile and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bolivia | 92nd | 42.05 | 0.76 | 10.5 |
 Argentina | 100th | 42.39 | 0.35 | — |
| Chile | 101st | 43.24 | 0.38 | 36.8 |
 Peru | 109th | 40.66 | 1.74 | 34.8 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across South America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Chile in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Chile is ahead of the world, and behind
18 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median11
Statistics on which Chile does better than the middle country measured.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2520.4424.252No earlier reading
Chile: 0.442 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 135th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.8850.14.885▼ Worsened since 2015
Chile: 0.1 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.210.25▲ Improved since 2014
Chile: 0.21 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8912.3417.89▲ Improved since 2014
Chile: 12.34 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 55th of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.10.42.1No real change since 2014
Chile: 0.4 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8413.1441.841▲ Improved since 2014
Chile: 3.144 · world median 1.841 · Annualized growth in real income or consumption per person of the bottom 40% (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -4.185 to 14.51; higher is better.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.7230.609▼ Worsened since 2013
Chile: 0.723 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 56th of 169 · derived.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80020,62212,800▲ Improved since 2017
Chile: 20,622 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 58th of 173 · derived.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6528.2718.65No earlier reading
Chile: 28.27 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.91620.9▼ Worsened since 2015
Chile: 16 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 76th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0516.1117.05▼ Worsened since 2013
Chile: 16.11 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 94th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which Chile does worse than the middle country measured.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.420.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Chile: 0.42 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 85th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.3820.337▲ Improved since 2014
Chile: 0.382 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 22nd of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5210.446No earlier reading
Chile: 0.521 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 35th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID)Frederick Solt, University of Iowa · 2023 · world median 3343.533▼ Worsened since 2013
Chile: 43.5 · world median 33 · Gini index of disposable household income (0–100), SWIID estimate. Frederick Solt, University of Iowa, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 22.3 to 51.2; lower is better.
Position 12th of 79 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.8818.856.88No earlier reading
Chile: 18.85 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.555.654.55Moved since 2017
Chile: 5.65 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.86.521.8No earlier reading
Chile: 6.5 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
No current reading for Chile
Gini Index (last 2022), Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2022), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2022), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2022), Palma Ratio (last 2022), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Prosperity Gap (last 2022), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate (last 2022) and Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Chile’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Chile’s 16th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 23rd of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties32nd of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technology38th of 1984/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture39th of 1844/4 keys
- Energy37th of 1653/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing46th of 2004/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation41st of 1764/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital51st of 1963/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge58th of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade61st of 1774/4 keys
- Peace & Security79th of 1774/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience88th of 1934/4 keys
- Gender & Equality88th of 1834/4 keys
- Work & Labour94th of 1824/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability105th of 1864/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality101st of 1593/3 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Chile can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Canada28th3/3 keysHighest in South America
Uruguay78th3/3 keysThis page
Chile101st3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Chile on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Chile rank on poverty & inequality?
Chile is placed 101st of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Chile?
43.24 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Chile?
0.38 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Chile compare with Argentina on poverty & inequality?
Argentina is placed 100th of 159, and Chile 101st. Gini Index: Argentina 42.39, Chile 43.24; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Argentina 0.35, Chile 0.38.
How have Chile’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 51.48 in 2003 to 43.24 in 2022; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 2.86 in 2003 to 0.38 in 2022; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 50.1 in 2017 to 36.8 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Chile?
No current reading is published for Chile on Gini Index, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate and Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 18 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Chile’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Chile (banner) — Alexandre Buisse ( ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Chile: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/chile/poverty