Indigenous peoples in Chile
Chilenos Nativos (Spanish) | |
|---|---|
Aymara community in Pozo Almonte, Tarapacá | |
| Total population | |
| Amerindian ancestry predominates 2,185,792 (2017 census) 12.44% of the Chilean population | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Predominantly in the Zona Sur, the Norte Grande and the Zona Austral | |
| Santiago Metropolitan | 685,403 |
| La Araucanía | 321,086 |
| Los Lagos | 228,477 |
| Biobío | 166,779 |
| Valparaíso | 118,467 |
| Languages | |
| Spanish • Indigenous languages (including Mapuche, Aymara, Huilliche, Rapa Nui) | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Catholicism Minority: Indigenous religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| |
Indigenous peoples in Chile or Native Chileans (Spanish: Chilenos Nativos) form about 13% of the total population of Chile. According to the 2017 census, almost 2,200,000 people declare having Indigenous origins. Most Chileans are of partially Indigenous descent; however, Indigenous identification and its legal ramifications are typically reserved to those who self-identify with and are accepted within one or more Indigenous groups.
The Mapuche, with their traditional lands in south-central Chile, account for approximately 80% of the total Indigenous population. There are also small populations of Aymara, Quechua, Atacameño, Qulla (Kolla), Diaguita, Yahgan (Yámana), Rapa Nui and Kawésqar (Alacalufe) people in other parts of the country, as well as many other groups such as Caucahue, Chango, Picunche, Chono, Tehuelche, Cunco and Selkʼnam (Ona).