Updated
Overview
Chile has about 85% more people than Portugal: 19.86 million against 10.80 million (2025).
Their economies are close in size: $357.37B for Chile and $346.64B for Portugal.
Per person, Portugal is the wealthier of the two: $32,082 against $17,995 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Chile | Portugal | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $357.37B | $346.64B | 2025 | $330.27B / $308.68B |
| GDP per capita | $17,995 | Higher: $32,082 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 2.5% | 1.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 4.2% | Lower: 2.3% | 2025 | 4.3% / 2.4% |
| Unemployment | 9.0% | Lower: 6.2% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 48 | 60 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $1,024 | Higher: $1,426 | 2024 / 2025 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $530 | Higher: $1,147 | 2024 / 2025 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $5.41 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 19.86 million | 10.80 million | 2025 | 19.09 million / 10.19 million |
| Population growth | 0.5% | 1.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 36.9 yrs | 46.9 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.13 | 1.52 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | 81.4 yrs | Higher: 82.4 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 89% | 61% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 96% | 88% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 756,102 km² | 92,090 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 26.3/km² | 117.3/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 79 Mt | Lower: 36 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 4.0 t | Lower: 3.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $5.11B | $4.64B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.6% | 1.5% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 114,000 | 52,000 | 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 1.9%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 4.2% in Chile and 2.3% in Portugal.
Day-to-day prices are noticeably lower in Chile: a price level of 48 versus 60 on a US=100 scale.
Average monthly earnings favour Portugal: $1,426 against $1,024 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Chile is the far younger society: median age 36.9 versus 46.9 years.
Life expectancy is 1.0 years longer in Portugal (82.4 vs 81.4).
Chile is considerably more urbanized: 89% of people live in cities, against 61%.
Geography
By land area, Chile is 8.2 times the size of Portugal: 756,102 km² versus 92,090 km².
Portugal is far more densely settled: 117 people per km² against 26.
Military
Defence budgets are of similar magnitude: $5.11B (Chile) and $4.64B (Portugal).
Chile fields the larger armed forces: 114,000 personnel against 52,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Chile bigger than Portugal?
- Chile is larger by land area. Chile covers 756,102 km² while Portugal covers 92,090 km², so Chile is 8.2 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Chile or Portugal?
- Chile has the larger population: 19.86 million versus 10.80 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Chile richer than Portugal?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Portugal is richer: $32,082 against $17,995. Total GDP tells a different story: $357.37B for Chile versus $346.64B for Portugal.
- Who spends more on their military, Chile or Portugal?
- Chile spends more: $5.11B versus $4.64B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).