Country profile – Chile

Chile's mining sector, dominated by copper and lithium, contributes up to 14% of the national GDP and 58% of total exports. While the country is a global leader in copper production via the state-owned Codelco, it faces significant environmental challenges, particularly extreme water scarcity in the Antofagasta region where mining accounts for 50%–65% of regional water withdrawals. The sector is increasingly relying on desalination to meet demand. Socially, women's participation in the mining workforce remains low at 10%. Economically, Chile is pursuing a National Lithium Strategy to increase domestic value addition and public partnerships, while maintaining strong export ties, particularly with China.

• Mining is a cornerstone of the Chilean economy, representing up to 14% of the GDP and accounting for 58% of the country's total exports in 2024.
• Chile is the world's largest copper producer, led by the state-owned corporation Codelco, though it lacks the refining capacity of China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• The mining industry in the Antofagasta region faces extreme water scarcity, with mining operations accounting for 50%–65% of total regional water withdrawals.
• To mitigate water scarcity, the sector is shifting toward non-conventional water sources; seawater use is projected to increase from 41% in 2024 to 68% by 2034.
• Chile is implementing a National Lithium Strategy to promote domestic value addition through mandated public partnerships and majority stakes for domestic companies.
• Gender disparity persists in the mining workforce, where women's participation is only 10%, significantly lower than in countries like Canada (18%).
• China is the primary destination for Chile's mining exports, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the major mining sector exports, primarily in copper.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2026). Country profile – Chile. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/country-profile-chile.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Country profile – Chile. 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/country-profile-chile.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Country profile – Chile |date=June 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/country-profile-chile.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2026country, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Country profile – Chile}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/country-profile-chile.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }