Updated
Overview
Australia has about 40% more people than Chile: 27.61 million against 19.86 million (2025).
Australia's economy is 5.0 times the size of Chile's, at $1.80T versus $357.37B.
Per person, Australia is the wealthier of the two: $65,130 against $17,995 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Australia | Chile | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $1.80T | $357.37B | 2025 | $1.75T / $330.27B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $65,130 | $17,995 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.4% | Higher: 2.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 2.9% | 4.2% | 2025 | 3.2% / 4.3% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 4.1% | 9.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 90 | 48 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $4,436 | $1,024 | 2021 / 2024 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | Higher: $2,655 | $530 | 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $5.95 | $5.41 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 27.61 million | 19.86 million | 2025 | 27.49 million / 19.09 million |
| Population growth | 1.5% | 0.5% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 38.3 yrs | 36.9 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.64 | 1.13 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.1 yrs | 81.4 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 88% | 89% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 96% | 96% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 7,692,024 km² | 756,102 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 3.6/km² | 26.3/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 387 Mt | Lower: 79 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 14.5 t | Lower: 4.0 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $33.82B | $5.11B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 60,000 | 114,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Chile is growing faster: 2.5% annual GDP growth versus 1.4%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 2.9% in Australia and 4.2% in Chile.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Chile: a price level of 48 versus 90 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Australia: $4,436 against $1,024 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Demographically the two are similar, with median ages of 38.3 (Australia) and 36.9 (Chile).
Life expectancy is 1.7 years longer in Australia (83.1 vs 81.4).
Geography
By land area, Australia is 10 times the size of Chile: 7,692,024 km² versus 756,102 km².
Chile is far more densely settled: 26 people per km² against 4.
Military
Australia spends 6.6 times as much on defence as Chile: $33.82B versus $5.11B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Chile fields the larger armed forces: 114,000 personnel against 60,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Australia bigger than Chile?
- Australia is larger by land area. Australia covers 7,692,024 km² while Chile covers 756,102 km², so Australia is 10 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Australia or Chile?
- Australia has the larger population: 27.61 million versus 19.86 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Australia richer than Chile?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Australia is richer: $65,130 against $17,995. Total GDP tells the same story: $1.80T for Australia versus $357.37B for Chile.
- Who spends more on their military, Australia or Chile?
- Australia spends more: $33.82B versus $5.11B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).