Sustainable Development in Chile: Progress and Challenges

Chile is one of the most economically developed countries in Latin America, it has the highest Human Development Index in the region, and its quality of life is becoming increasingly similar to that of developed countries. However, on the environmental front, the country still has many challenges to overcome to achieve true sustainable development.

Several indices and indicators, such as the Environmental Performance Index and the HDI, show that Chile is well positioned in terms of sustainable development, especially when compared with other countries in the region. Although the country lags considerably in some areas, some trends, such as the rise of renewable electricity, show that it is moving toward a more sustainable state.

Chile has enormous biodiversity thanks to its wide range of latitudes and altitudes. The country has very different geographic zones, from deserts and beaches to evergreen forests and the high Andean plateau (altiplano). This diversity gives Chile a varied flora and fauna, and many species are native to the country, such as chinchillas, viscachas, lamini (South American camelids), coypus, degus, pudus, cojinovas (Seriolella fish), sea lions, penguins, pichis and hairy armadillos, among others.

Sustainable development in Chile depends on economic development, which must be inclusive of everyone and focused on reducing poverty, being aligned with the UN SDGs. In particular, economic efforts must be consistent with the responsible use and protection of natural resources, with a view to guaranteeing access to these resources for future generations of Chileans.

More: Chile’s natural resources

Chile’s Environmental Performance Index

Human Development Index (HDI) of Chile and other countries

Chile ranks 45th on the Human Development Index (HDI) for 2023, with a value of 0.878, making it the highest-ranked Latin American country and placing it in the very high human development group.

The economic and human development the country has achieved in recent decades is remarkable, especially compared with many Latin American countries.

Per capita carbon dioxide emissions of Chile and other countries

In recent decades, Chile’s carbon dioxide emissions have increased considerably, although per capita emissions leveled off in the 2010s and have fallen since 2019. In 1980, each Chilean produced an average of 2.2 t of CO2, and by 2011 this figure had reached 4.5 t. According to Our World in Data, emissions were around 4.0 tonnes per capita in 2024, which keeps Chile among the countries with the highest per capita emissions in South America.

Electricity from fossil fuels in Chile and other countries

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Between 2007 and 2021, fossil fuels supplied more than half of Chile’s electricity, peaking at 64% in 2013. However, the situation has changed radically: renewable energy generated around 70% of the country’s electricity in 2024 and about 66% in 2025, when fossil fuels supplied 34%, according to Ember (2025). The strong rollout of solar and wind power has decisively boosted sustainable development in Chile’s electricity sector.

Chile’s ecological footprint and total biocapacity

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In Chile, total biocapacity has increased slowly, at a much lower rate than its ecological footprint. That is why, since the late 2000s, the country has gone from having an ecological reserve to running an ecological deficit: in 2023, its ecological footprint of consumption was 3.62 global hectares per person, compared with a biocapacity of 3.14 global hectares per person (National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, 2026 edition).

By this measure, Chile’s development is not yet sustainable: the country’s demand on nature exceeds what its ecosystems can regenerate.

Sources:
Global Footprint Network
Google Public Data
HDI
Environmental Performance Index

Last updated: September 26, 2026