History of the Jews in Chile

The history of the Jews in Chile dates back to the arrival of Europeans to the country. Over time, Chile has received several contingents of Jewish immigrants. Currently, the Jewish community in Chile comes mainly from the migrations occurring in the 19th and 20th centuries, mostly of Ashkenazi background.

Chile is home to the 3rd largest Jewish community in South America with a population estimated to be between 15,700 and 16,000 as of 2025. This makes it one of the largest Jewish communities in South America, after Argentina and Brazil. Most of the community is concentrated in Santiago, with smaller groups in other regions. representing 0.08% of the total Chilean population. The total amount of Chileans with Jewish ancestry, however, is roughly 28,000 (defined as people having at least one Jewish parent or grandparent, and any spouse of such person).