Chile: crime and justice

How many people are arrested in Chile each year?

Carabineros de Chile detained 278,752 people in 2025, 6.6% more than in 2024, according to police statistics shown by the National Statistics Institute on its public security page. The Investigations Police (PDI) received 96,603 complaints, 3.9% more, and courts with criminal jurisdiction closed 665,944 cases, up 3.1%.

Arrests and complaints are administrative counts that depend on policing activity and reporting, so they are not a direct measure of how much crime occurs. Victim surveys give a separate measure.

Official sources: public security page

Do people in Chile think crime is rising?

82.9% of people in Chile's urban areas said in 2025 that crime in the country had increased, according to the National Urban Citizen Security Survey (ENUSC), published by the National Statistics Institute on its public security page. The survey also estimates that 58.7% of violent crimes against households were not reported.

The ENUSC asks households about crimes they experienced in the past 12 months, including those not reported to police. Perception of crime can differ from measured victimisation. The INE publishes national and regional results each year.

Official sources: public security page

Where can I find official crime statistics for Chile?

The Public Prosecutor's Office publishes statistical bulletins on the crimes it handled, by type and region, on its statistics page. Until 2025 it published quarterly, half-year and annual reports; from 2026 it publishes only half-year and annual reports. It also offers interactive statistics.

Prosecutor figures count cases entering the justice system, including crimes reported by victims and those found by police. Police figures from Carabineros and the PDI, and court figures, are collected by the INE on its public security page.

Official sources: statistics page · public security page

How many people are in prison in Chile?

Gendarmería de Chile publishes the number of people in its custody at the end of each month, by region and type of population, on its general prison statistics page. It also publishes monthly statistical reports, the use of prison capacity against design capacity and a characterisation of people deprived of liberty.

The figures distinguish people held in closed prisons, in semi-open regimes and serving sentences in the community. Remand prisoners awaiting trial are counted alongside sentenced prisoners, so the total can change with court activity as well as with sentencing.

Official sources: general prison statistics page

How many murders are there in Chile?

6.3 per 100,000: that is the intentional homicide rate in Chile for 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Since 2005 it has ranged from 2.3 per 100,000 (2015) to 6.8 per 100,000 (2022). It is 23rd highest of 25 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 19.1 per 100,000. Worldwide: 25th of 79.

What is the female homicide rate in Chile?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 1.4 per 100,000. The peak was 1.5 per 100,000 in 2022 and the low 0.4 per 100,000 in 2012. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 3.4 per 100,000, and Chile placed 24th highest of 25. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 33rd highest.

What is the male homicide rate in Chile?

11.4 per 100,000: that is the homicide rate for men in Chile for 2023, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Its high point since 2005 was 2022, at 12.2 per 100,000; its low point was 2015, at 4.1 per 100,000. Latin America & Caribbean median: 33.1 per 100,000; Chile is 22nd highest of 25. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 24th highest.