Remittances sent from Chile to other countries rose by 5.9% in 2025, totaling $2.271 billion, according to Central Bank data. This increase breaks a three-year streak of consecutive declines in the flow of currency sent by the foreign population living in the country.
Although the figure signals a recovery, the volume remains 27.6% below the peak recorded in 2021, when remittances reached $3.137 billion. Currently, the foreign population in Chile stands at 1.9 million people, equivalent to nearly 10% of the total population, with just over one million of them active in the formal or informal labor market.
Maturation of the migration cycle
Former director of the National Migration Service, Rodrigo Sandoval, argues that this phenomenon is not merely a statistical rebound. In his view, it reflects an economic migration that has completed its natural maturation cycle.
“What we are seeing in 2025 is the result of a convergence between a higher number of foreign citizens in steady employment and a migrant unemployment rate that is lower than the national average,” Sandoval explains. The expert adds that the Chilean market has shown signs of recovery, allowing foreign workers to allocate between 6% and 23% of their monthly income to these transfers.
In the breakdown by destination, Colombia tops the list with $786 million, followed by Peru with $459 million, Argentina with $130 million, and Haiti with $126 million. However, experts warn that these figures do not capture the full reality of migration.
The case of Venezuela, the largest foreign community in Chile, highlights the limitations of official statistics. Due to hyperinflation and currency controls in that country, the transfer of funds through formal channels is virtually non-existent. Sandoval notes that the increase in remittances to Colombia is largely influenced by Venezuelans using agencies in Colombian territory as a financial bridge to get money to their families.
Eduardo Thayer, also a former director of the Migration Service, adds that the Central Bank report primarily measures banking activity rather than actual cash flow. “People in an irregular situation cannot access formal banking, so they tend to send remittances through informal channels that are not captured by official methodology,” Thayer concludes.
