While Chile's copper might capture headlines, its agricultural output—from a record-breaking harvest of 180,000 tons of blueberries to salmon exports worth $5.6 billion—fuels a dynamic and delicious food industry worth billions.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Chile's total agricultural production value reached approximately USD 12.5 billion, with fruits contributing 45% of the total
- Chile produced 1.8 million tons of grapes in the 2021/2022 season, marking a 5% increase from the previous year
- In 2023, blueberry production in Chile hit a record 180,000 tons during the 2022/2023 season, up 12% year-over-year
- In 2022, Chile exported fresh cherries valued at USD 1.2 billion, with 80% to China
- Blueberry exports reached 147,000 tons worth USD 1.1 billion in 2022/2023
- Salmon exports totaled USD 5.6 billion in 2022, with 48% to the USA
- In 2022, Chile imported USD 2.1 billion in agricultural products, mainly wheat and soy
- Wheat imports totaled 5.5 million tons valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2022
- Soybean imports reached 2.8 million tons for USD 1.2 billion in 2022, for animal feed
- Per capita food consumption in Chile was 1,200 kg in 2022, including processed products
- Annual per capita meat consumption averaged 120 kg in 2022, with poultry at 50 kg
- Milk consumption per capita reached 170 liters in 2022
- The food industry employed 200,000 direct workers in 2022, representing 2% of national employment
- Agricultural sector jobs totaled 800,000 in 2022, with fruits 40%
- Salmon industry employed 60,000 people in 2022 across 25 regions
Chile's thriving food industry is a major global fruit and seafood exporter.
Domestic Consumption
1Per capita food consumption in Chile was 1,200 kg in 2022, including processed products
Verified2Annual per capita meat consumption averaged 120 kg in 2022, with poultry at 50 kg
Verified3Milk consumption per capita reached 170 liters in 2022
Verified4Bread and bakery products consumption totaled 80 kg per capita in 2022
Directional5Fruit consumption per capita was 100 kg fresh equivalent in 2022
Single source6Vegetable intake averaged 85 kg per capita in 2022, below WHO recommendations
Verified7Sugar consumption reached 40 kg per capita in 2022
Verified8Fish and seafood consumption per capita was 25 kg in 2022
Verified9Wine consumption averaged 15 liters per capita in 2022
Directional10Beer consumption was 45 liters per capita in 2022
Single source11Soft drink consumption reached 120 liters per capita in 2022
Verified12Processed food market size was USD 20 billion in 2022, growing 5%
Verified13Poultry consumption grew 3% to 1.05 million tons total in 2022
Verified14Beef domestic use was 200,000 tons in 2022
Directional15Pork consumption totaled 500,000 tons in 2022
Single source16Egg consumption per capita was 240 units in 2022
Verified17Edible oil consumption reached 25 kg per capita in 2022
Verified18Rice consumption averaged 8 kg per capita in 2022
Verified19Pasta consumption was 12 kg per capita in 2022
Directional20Yogurt market consumption grew to 15 kg per capita in 2022
Single source21Snack food consumption increased 8% to USD 2 billion market in 2022
VerifiedDomestic Consumption Interpretation
Chileans proudly maintain a diet where the national bird might as well be the chicken, the valleys flow with wine and soda, and the grocery cart tells a tale of cherished tradition briskly being outsold by convenient, processed temptation.
Export Volumes and Values
1In 2022, Chile exported fresh cherries valued at USD 1.2 billion, with 80% to China
Verified2Blueberry exports reached 147,000 tons worth USD 1.1 billion in 2022/2023
Verified3Salmon exports totaled USD 5.6 billion in 2022, with 48% to the USA
Verified4Wine exports were valued at USD 1.4 billion in 2022, to over 150 markets
Directional5Table grape exports hit 700,000 tons worth USD 1.5 billion in 2022/2023
Single source6Apple exports reached 500,000 tons valued at USD 600 million in 2022
Verified7Walnut exports were 120,000 tons for USD 800 million in 2022
Verified8Avocado exports totaled 80,000 tons worth USD 250 million in 2022/2023
Verified9Kiwifruit exports were 40,000 tons valued at USD 150 million in 2022
Directional10Plum exports reached 150,000 tons for USD 300 million in 2022
Single source11Pear exports were 200,000 tons worth USD 250 million in 2022
Verified12Citrus fruit exports totaled 100,000 tons valued at USD 150 million in 2022
Verified13Almond exports hit 20,000 tons for USD 120 million in 2022
Verified14Salmon processed exports (fillets) were 300,000 tons in 2022
Directional15Mussel exports reached 120,000 tons worth USD 400 million in 2022
Single source16Wine bottled exports were 800 million liters valued at USD 1.4 billion in 2022
Verified17Beef exports totaled 20,000 tons carcass equivalent for USD 100 million in 2022
Verified18Pork exports were 15,000 tons worth USD 50 million in 2022
Verified19In 2022, fresh fruit exports from Chile reached USD 8.5 billion, representing 50% of total agricultural exports
Directional20Copper exports dominate but food exports grew 15% to USD 12 billion total agri-food in 2022
Single source21IQF blueberry exports to Europe were 30,000 tons in 2022/2023
Verified22Cherry exports to China: 110,000 tons worth USD 1 billion in 2022/2023
Verified23In 2022, Chile's total agri-food exports hit USD 12.8 billion, up 18% YoY
Verified24Fresh fruit exports volume: 2.5 million tons worth USD 8.5 billion in 2022
Directional25Frozen fruit exports: 200,000 tons USD 1 billion in 2022/2023
Single sourceExport Volumes and Values Interpretation
Chile has proven that while its economic bedrock may be copper, its true global soft power is a deliciously diverse portfolio, where salmon swims to the USA, a billion dollars in cherries sweetens China, and vineyards, orchards, and waters combine to export over $12 billion worth of gourmet ambition.
Import Volumes and Values
1In 2022, Chile imported USD 2.1 billion in agricultural products, mainly wheat and soy
Verified2Wheat imports totaled 5.5 million tons valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2022
Verified3Soybean imports reached 2.8 million tons for USD 1.2 billion in 2022, for animal feed
Verified4Corn imports were 1.2 million tons worth USD 300 million in 2022
Directional5Dairy product imports (milk powder) totaled 100,000 tons valued at USD 400 million in 2022
Single source6Sugar imports were 500,000 tons for USD 250 million in 2022
Verified7Vegetable oil imports reached 800,000 tons valued at USD 1 billion in 2022
Verified8Rice imports totaled 200,000 tons worth USD 150 million in 2022
Verified9Beef imports were 50,000 tons carcass weight for USD 250 million in 2022
Directional10Pork imports reached 100,000 tons valued at USD 400 million in 2022
Single source11Poultry meat imports totaled 20,000 tons for USD 80 million in 2022
Verified12Processed food imports grew 10% to USD 500 million in 2022, mainly snacks and ready meals
Verified13Fertilizer imports for agriculture were USD 1.5 billion in 2022, critical for yields
Verified14Machinery for food processing imported USD 300 million worth in 2022
Directional15Seeds and planting materials imports totaled USD 200 million in 2022
Single source16In 2022, feed ingredients imports summed USD 2.5 billion, dominated by soy
Verified17Cheese imports were 30,000 tons worth USD 200 million in 2022
Verified18Butter imports reached 15,000 tons for USD 100 million in 2022
Verified19Frozen seafood imports totaled 50,000 tons valued at USD 150 million in 2022
Directional20Chocolate and confectionery imports were USD 250 million in 2022
Single source21Pasta and noodle imports reached USD 100 million in 2022
VerifiedImport Volumes and Values Interpretation
Chile's grocery cart has gone global, with a staggering $2.1 billion spent last year to cover the nation's tables and feed its farms, revealing a booming economy with a costly and deeply imported appetite.
Industry Employment and Investment
1The food industry employed 200,000 direct workers in 2022, representing 2% of national employment
Verified2Agricultural sector jobs totaled 800,000 in 2022, with fruits 40%
Verified3Salmon industry employed 60,000 people in 2022 across 25 regions
Verified4Wine sector jobs reached 100,000 including vineyards and processing in 2022
Directional5Food processing plants numbered 5,000 in 2022, employing 150,000
Single source6FDI in agri-food reached USD 1.2 billion in 2022, mainly seafood
Verified7R&D investment in food tech was USD 200 million in 2022
Verified8Fruit packing houses employed 100,000 seasonal workers in 2022/2023
Verified9Average wage in food processing was CLP 600,000 monthly in 2022
Directional10Women represented 45% of agricultural workforce in 2022
Single source11Aquaculture jobs grew 5% to 55,000 in 2022
Verified12Dairy industry employed 30,000 in 2022
Verified13Meat processing sector jobs: 25,000 direct in 2022
Verified14Investment in irrigation projects totaled USD 500 million in 2022
Directional15Private investment in salmon farms was USD 2 billion in 2022
Single source16Food industry GDP contribution was 4.5% or USD 15 billion in 2022
Verified17Number of food exporters: 2,500 companies in 2022
Verified18Training programs for 20,000 food workers funded in 2022 by Sence
Verified19Sustainability investments in food sector: USD 300 million in 2022
Directional20Biotech startups in food: 50 new in 2022, with USD 100 million funding
Single sourceIndustry Employment and Investment Interpretation
While Chile's food industry proudly employs 200,000 direct workers, it humbly sits atop a sprawling, 800,000-strong agricultural ecosystem, where armies of seasonal fruit packers, legions of salmon farmers, and battalions of winemakers—all fueled by billions in investment—collectively whip up a USD 15 billion slice of the national GDP, proving that from vineyard to processing plant, the country’s economic plate is abundantly full.
Production and Yield
1In 2022, Chile's total agricultural production value reached approximately USD 12.5 billion, with fruits contributing 45% of the total
Verified2Chile produced 1.8 million tons of grapes in the 2021/2022 season, marking a 5% increase from the previous year
Verified3In 2023, blueberry production in Chile hit a record 180,000 tons during the 2022/2023 season, up 12% year-over-year
Verified4Cherry production in Chile for the 2022/2023 season totaled 143,000 tons, primarily from the O'Higgins region
Directional5Apple production reached 800,000 tons in Chile in 2022, with 60% destined for export markets
Single source6In 2022, Chile harvested 1.2 million tons of walnuts, positioning it as the world's second-largest producer
Verified7Avocado production in Chile was 120,000 tons in the 2022/2023 season, concentrated in the Coquimbo region
Verified8Table grape yields averaged 25 tons per hectare in Chile's central valleys during 2022
Verified9Kiwifruit production totaled 50,000 tons in 2022, with a 10% growth driven by new plantings
Directional10Pomegranate output in Chile reached 15,000 tons in 2023, up from 12,000 tons in 2021
Single source11Plum production was 250,000 tons in the 2021/2022 season, mainly for fresh export
Verified12Pear yields in Chile averaged 40 tons per hectare in 2022, supported by advanced irrigation
Verified13In 2022, citrus production (oranges, lemons, mandarins) summed to 300,000 tons across Chile
Verified14Hazelnut production began commercial scale at 2,000 tons in 2023, with projections to 10,000 by 2030
Directional15Stone fruit production (peaches, nectarines) totaled 400,000 tons in 2022/2023
Single source16Almond production reached 25,000 tons in Chile in 2022, expanding rapidly in the north
Verified17Fig production was 8,000 tons in 2022, niche but growing for export
Verified18Persimmon output hit 20,000 tons in the 2022 season, up 15%
Verified19Olive production for oil reached 25,000 tons in 2022/2023
Directional20Quinoa production in Chile was 5,000 tons in 2022, focused in the north
Single source21Salmon harvest volume in Chile was 531,391 tons in 2022, making it the second-largest global producer
Verified22Trout production totaled 45,000 tons in 2022, primarily rainbow trout
Verified23Mussel production reached 150,000 tons in 2022 from aquaculture
Verified24Sea urchin harvest was 2,500 tons in 2022, mostly wild capture
Directional25Abalone production stood at 1,200 tons in 2022
Single source26Wine grape harvest yielded 1.3 million tons in the 2022/2023 vintage
Verified27Beef production in Chile was 220,000 tons carcass weight in 2022
Verified28Pork production reached 550,000 tons in 2022, up 4%
Verified29Poultry meat output was 1.1 million tons in 2022
Directional30Milk production totaled 3.2 billion liters in 2022
Single sourceProduction and Yield Interpretation
Chile has firmly planted its flag as the world's fruit bowl, with a side of salmon and steak, proving that its agricultural and aquacultural prowess is no flash in the pan but a steadily growing feast for global markets.
Sources & References
- Reference 1ODEPAodepa.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 2STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 3APPSapps.fas.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 4INCinc.clVisit source
- Reference 5VINOSDECHILEvinosdechile.orgVisit source
- Reference 6FRESHPLAZAfreshplaza.comVisit source
- Reference 7FAOfao.orgVisit source
- Reference 8ALMONDBOARDalmondboard.comVisit source
- Reference 9INTERNATIONALOLIVEOILinternationaloliveoil.orgVisit source
- Reference 10SERNAPESCAsernapesca.clVisit source
- Reference 11PROCHILEprochile.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 12WITSwits.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 13OECoec.worldVisit source
- Reference 14SAGsag.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 15INEine.clVisit source
- Reference 16CERVECEROSDECHILEcervecerosdechile.clVisit source
- Reference 17EUROMONITOReuromonitor.comVisit source
- Reference 18INEine.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 19CHILEALIMENTOSchilealimentos.comVisit source
- Reference 20INVESTCHILEinvestchile.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 21CORFOcorfo.clVisit source
- Reference 22CNAcna.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 23BCENTRALbcentral.clVisit source
- Reference 24SENCEsence.clVisit source
- Reference 25STARTUPCHILEstartupchile.orgVisit source