Chile‘s unique blend of natural beauty, economic stability, and cultural richness makes it an attractive destination for both investors and residents. Known for its diverse landscapes, from the Atacama Desert to the lush vineyards of the Central Valley and the stunning fjords of Patagonia, the country offers a quality of life enriched by its natural wonders.

But what do leading rankings and indices have to say about Chile in terms of economic performance, soft power, sustainability, country brand strength, and reputation?

Let’s take a closer look at:

  • Chile’s soft power and country brand strength
  • Its appeal to skilled labour, investors, and visitors
  • The country’s global contribution to peace and well-being
  • How well it fares in terms of happiness and sustainability

Soft Power and Country Brand Strength

In the Global Soft Power Index 2024 by Brand Finance, Chile secures the 59th spot, slightly trailing Romania (58th) and Estonia (57th). Chile has fallen by five positions since last year’s ranking.

In the U.S. News Best Countries 2023 ranking, Chile ranks 51st, behind Peru (50th) and Hungary (49th). Chile does not rank in the top 30 in any of the areas. However, the best-ranked areas are Adventure (37th), Heritage (38th), Social Purpose (42nd), and Agility (42nd). On the other hand, the country needs serious improvement in the areas of Entrepreneurship (56th), Movers (56th), Power (55th), and Quality of Life (42nd).

The Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brand Index (NBI) calculates its ranking based on averaging the scores of six factors: exports, governance, tourism, culture, people, and immigration. According to the NBI 2023 ranking, Chile secured the 41st position, dropping by one position since 2022.


Talent Attraction

The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2019 placed Chile at 33rd position among 141 countries. However, it’s important to note that an updated version of this report hasn’t been released in the past five years, and rankings may have shifted since then.

Chile, classified as a high-income country within the Latin America and the Caribbean regional group, currently holds the 34th overall position and 1st regional position in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023.

In terms of education excellence, Chile does not have any university within the top 100 worldwide, according to the World University Rankings 2024. However, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile ranks 1st in the Latin America Rankings 2023.


Is Chile a “Good” Country?

In the Caf World Giving Index 2023, Chile ranked 70th, trailing behind Saudi Arabia (69th) and Costa Rica (68th). Notably, Chile performs admirably in helping a stranger, with 68% of the adult population partaking in such activity; however, only 17% volunteered. Chile improved from its 71st position in the Caf World Giving Index 2022.

In the Good Country Index, Chile currently holds the 33rd overall position, the same as in 2022. Chile was admirably ranked 2nd in World Order. However, no other factor ranks in the top 10. The category Planet & Climate (36th) has dropped by ten positions since 2022, Science & Technology (72nd) dropped from 61st position in 2022, and Prosperity & Equality (21st) fell from 12th position in 2022. On the other hand, International Peace & Security (19th) improved from 41st place in 2022, and Health & Wellbeing (79th) improved from 93rd place in 2022. The Culture factor ranked 69th.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Democracy Index 2023, Chile ranked in the dark blue (8-9 range) with an 8.22 out of 10. This is the highest among neighbouring countries: Argentina (6.85), Bolivia (4.51), Peru (5.92), and Paraguay (5.89). Only Uruguay (8.91) scored more than Chile.

The 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranks Chile 27th, tying the United Arab Emirates (27th) and behind Taiwan (25th) and Bhutan (25th). Its score has remained the same since 2021.

The Sustainable Development Report 2023 ranks Chile 30th. The report highlights that it faces many significant challenges in certain SDGs (SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 9 Industry Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG 13 Climate Action, and SDG 15 Life on Land). The country is also experiencing a downward trend with SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities and SDG 16 Peace Justice and strong institutions.


Appeal to Talent, Business, Trade and Travel

The Bloom Consulting biannual Country Brand Ranking Trade Edition 2022-2023 assesses investment-related variables, emphasising perceptions of a country’s trade-specific brand and evaluating branding performance. Regionally, Chile ranks 7th, surpassing Peru (8th) and behind Argentina (6th). Worldwide, Chile ranks 34th.

In addition, the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Tourism Edition 2022-2023 places Chile at the 15th position in the Americas Region, dropping by four positions since last year’s ranking. The country ranks behind Panama (14th) and The Bahamas (13th).

In the IMD 2023 World Competitiveness Ranking, Chile ranks 44th, dropping by one position since 2022. Currently, it sits just behind Poland (43rd) and Slovenia (42nd) while surpassing Cyprus (45th) and Hungary (46th).

Regarding specific characteristics, Chile ranked 52nd in economic performance, and 32nd for government efficiency, experiencing a drop of 12 positions compared to 2020. It also slightly dropped its position for business efficiency from 40th in 2021 to 45th in 2023. Infrastructure in the country ranked 46th in 2023.


How Peaceful and Safe?

The Global Peace Index 2023 ranks Chile 58th, dropping by five positions since last year’s index. Chile now sits ahead of The Gambia (59th) and Greece (60th). Chile falls in the high sector of the ‘State of Peace’ spectrum as defined by the Institute for Economics & Peace. Chile is positioned 3rd regionally amongst its fellow South America Region, led by Uruguay (1st) and Argentina (2nd).

The Institute for Economics & Peace ranks Chile within the medium impact zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’ in the 2024 Global Terrorism Index. Chile ranks 17th, behind Colombia (16th) and Mozambique (15th). Those countries are already within the high impact zone in terms of ‘Impact of Terrorism’.

Meanwhile, the World Happiness Report 2024, which displays the Ranking of Happiness based on a three-year average 2021–2023, ranks Chile 38th, behind Serbia (37th) and ahead of Panama (39th). Chile dropped from the 36th position in 2023. Chile also ranked 39th for happiness amongst youth (age below 30) and 46th for happiness amongst the old (age 60 and above).


Environmental Performance

The 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) edition ranks Chile 65th. The EPI analyses the performance of 180 countries, scoring and ranking these countries on their environmental performance using the most recent year of data available, as well as providing calculable changes in scores over the previous decade. Chile has experienced a positive score change of 6.80 in the past 10 years.


Last updated in June 2024. Explore more country profiles here.


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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Chile’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.