Chile vs Argentina
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Chile and Argentina are Andean neighbors with dramatically different economic trajectories despite similar resource endowments. Chile has been Latin America's economic success story: stable macroeconomic policy, open trade (FTAs with 65+ countries), copper wealth managed through sovereign funds, and the region's highest GDP per capita. Argentina's economy is larger overall (roughly twice Chile's GDP) but has been plagued by recurring crises, currency collapses, and 100%+ inflation. Chile's economy is copper-dependent (the world's largest producer), while Argentina's is more diversified across agriculture, manufacturing, and energy.
Chile has a GDP of $363.30B compared to Argentina's $667.92B, making it 1.8x smaller. Chile's population is 19.8M vs Argentina's 45.7M. Across 12 key indicators, both countries are evenly matched in categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Chile |  Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $363.30B | $667.92B✓ |
| GDP per Capita | $17,876✓ | $13,895 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 2.0% | 4.0%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $36,430✓ | $32,818 |
| Population | 19.8M | 45.7M✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 81.2 years✓ | 77.4 years |
| Inflation (%) | 3.1%✓ | 16.4% |
| Unemployment (%) | 8.3% | 6.6%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 43.7%✓ | 73.6% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.2 | 1.5✓ |
| Gini Index | 43 | 42.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 3.9✓ | 4 |
Summary
Chile has a GDP of $363.30B compared to Argentina's $667.92B, making the latter economy 1.8x larger. In terms of population, Chile has 19.8M people while Argentina has 45.7M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Chile leads in 6 and Argentina leads in 6.
ChileArgentina