An eventful year for the world and with tremendous challenges for Chile

Despite being located in the corner of the planet and isolated by its natural borders, Chile is not immune to the upheavals that the world is experiencing. On the contrary, the high adoption of new technology and an economy that has been open to the world for decades makes us susceptible to this generalized uncertainty. In addition, internally we have been going through a process of social, political and economic instability since October 2019 – which remains unresolved.
Ipsos | Almanac 2024 | Chile

Our Global Trends study sheds some light on the climate of division and distrust among citizens. 86% of citizens in Chile believe that, in our country, there is increasing conflict between people who do not share the same values (9pp higher than the global average), 81% say they are concerned that the government and public services will do very little to help people in the coming years, and only 29% trust business leaders to tell the truth.

Chileans’ gloomy outlook is no surprise given a string of complex years. 2024, however, may prove to surprises us pleasantly. Inflation, which had been rising in recent years after the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, has begun to ease. This is reflected in consumer confidence, which has seen a slow but steady rise this year. 

In the political arena, 2023 marked the second year of Gabriel Boric's government. It faced numerous economic challenges, a security crisis, and new corruption scandals, which have put the issue of corruption back in the spotlight. This is reflected in our What Worries the World study, where we saw concern about corruption rocket 11pp between July and August and become the second biggest concern for Chileans, behind only crime and violence. 

The government has however achieved some important legislative victories, for instance, the new bill reducing the working week to 40 hours, or the increase in minimum wage. 

In addition, this year the country has another opportunity to agree on a new social contract, with the referendum scheduled for December 2023. The result of this vote will determine whether the country will have a new constitution, or whether it will have to continue searching for a pact that will unite Chileans and allow progress in overcoming the country's structural problems. 

In short, 2023 could be a historic year, a pivotal year for different processes that have been taking place in the country. A year in which brands and companies, public services and state organizations, citizens and consumers, everyone in Chile will move forward together in a more promising direction.

Jorge Lopez
Country Manager
Ipsos in Chile