Tiago Bianchi
Research expert covering internet & gaming in Latin America and Spain
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Despite the increase in internet connectivity via mobile devices throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and the fact that most of Chile’s internet traffic comes from mobile devices, the country’s online landscape is still very much determined by the force of its fixed-line infrastructure. With connection speeds almost ten times higher than in mobile, Chile is one of the world leaders in internet speed for broadband connections due to the extensive network of optical fiber throughout its territory.Still, the mobile internet in Chile has an equally high standard, with a penetration rate just high as its fixed lines – a matter very much valued by its population, which prioritizes ease of access anywhere possible. Not by chance, Chileans do spend most of their time online on mobile devices, especially considering that 70 percent of the country’s gamers play mobile games on smartphones.
Enjoying access everywhere, the predominantly young online audiences of Chile have little effort finding information and staying in touch with each other – the main reasons for Chileans to access the web. Overall, internet usage is an essential part of the country’s media consumption habits, especially when considering the usage of video and audio streaming platforms.
Social media consumption in Chile
But among all the online platforms used in Chile, social networks and messaging apps are by far the most popular. With a penetration rate of almost 90 percent in the country, social media is one of the main ways for Chileans to access online information, especially when researching brands and products.Among these platforms, Facebook still reigns as Chile’s most popular social network, with around 15 million users. Instagram follows over 10 million users and is the favorite platform for more than 30 percent of Chileans. Despite the regional growth throughout Latin America, TikTok still didn’t manage to break the favoritism of Meta platforms in Chile.
E-commerce in Chile
Benefiting from extensive internet access, e-commerce is also very popular in Chile, with around 12.7 million online shoppers among its population. With a market slightly larger than Peru’s and comparable to the ones of Colombia and Argentina, the sector was used by around two-thirds of the country’s population in 2022, generating annual online shopping revenues of around 12.56 million U.S. dollars. Around 10 percent of total e-commerce transactions in Chile were from informal online transactions.Just like with Chile’s other Latin American neighbors, the most sought products in the country’s e-commerce market are clothes and electronics. However, unlike the rest of Latin America, Chileans defied the lead of Mercado Libre as the region's most popular e-commerce and marketplace platform in favor of its national competitor Falabella, which surpassed the Argentinian giant regarding monthly visitors.
