Chile and Ecuador
Chile and Ecuador coordinate an agenda of trade, technical cooperation, security and ocean protection. Their expanded trade agreement has been in force since 2022, while the interministerial council and political consultations provide channels to address human mobility, training and regional affairs.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-08 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-08Bilateral context
The institutional relationship rests on the 2008 Association Agreement and the Binational Interministerial Council, established in 2007.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Chile and Ecuador totalled 1,309.6 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, pharmaceutical products stands out in shipments from Chile to Ecuador, at 50.5 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 1,309.64 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Chile to Ecuador | 566.63 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Goods: Ecuador to Chile | 743.01 M USD | 2025 · Comtrade |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Chile to Ecuador | ||
| Export share: Ecuador to Chile | ||
| Investment stock: Chile in Ecuador | ||
| Investment stock: Ecuador in Chile |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ECU. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Chile to Ecuador
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ECU. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
- Goods: Ecuador to Chile
- 2025 · UN Comtrade · Goods; full calendar year; reporter ECU. Both directions come from the same verified customs document, not from adding mirror declarations together. Exports generally FOB; imports generally CIF.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | Chile | Ecuador |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 357.37 billion USD2025 · World Bank | 130.32 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 17,994.59 USD2025 · World Bank | 7,125.28 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 2.46 %2025 · World Bank | 3.73 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | ||
| Inflation · annual average | 4.21 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank | 0.71 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4.1 %Year-on-year · 2026-08 · INE Chile | |
| Unemployment | 8.97 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank | 3.31 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -2.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 41.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 54.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -1.22 %2025 · World Bank | 5.91 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 19,859,9212025 · World Bank | 18,289,8962025 · WB |
| Area | 757,245 km²2023 · World Bank | 256,370 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChile: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChile: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Chile: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Chile: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · Annual average CPI change (%) · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChile: 2026-08 · Headline CPI; change from the same month of the previous year · INE Chile · Twelve-month headline CPI change; not the 0.6% monthly change or the 3.6% cumulative change in the year.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChile: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Chile: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.Ecuador: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Chile: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.Ecuador: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChile: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Population
- PeopleChile: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2025 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChile: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.Ecuador: 2023 · World Bank · Annual World Bank observation, with its original year; not monthly data.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Chile to Ecuador
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical products | 50.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 21.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 21 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 9.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 3.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 0.731 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 0.339 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.000762 M USD2025 · Source |
Ecuador to Chile
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 276.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 7.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 6.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.982 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 0.0867 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 0.0004 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Chile to Ecuador | Ecuador to Chile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,659.4 | 538.9 | 1,120.5 |
| 2022 | 1951 | 590.3 | 1,360.7 |
| 2023 | 1,550.7 | 572.3 | 978.4 |
| 2024 | 1,422.3 | 510.5 | 911.7 |
| 2025 | 1,309.6 | 566.6 | 743 |
Connections between people
Technical cooperation is based on a 1993 agreement and held its fifth meeting in 2022, focusing on human capital training and joint projects. Both countries collaborate on police training and the prevention of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as participating in the Quito Process on human mobility. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Chile living in Ecuador | ||
| Residents from Ecuador living in Chile | ||
| Study and training: Chile in Ecuador | ||
| Study and training: Ecuador in Chile | ||
| Academic stays: Chile in Ecuador | ||
| Academic stays: Ecuador in Chile | ||
| Travel: Chile to Ecuador | ||
| Travel: Ecuador to Chile |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Bilateral context
The institutional relationship rests on the 2008 Association Agreement and the Binational Interministerial Council, established in 2007. Trade Integration Agreement number 75 was signed in 2020 and entered into force in 2022; it covers goods, services, investment, gender, value chains, labor and the environment. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Chile is 357.4 billion USD (2025), compared with 130.3 for Ecuador (2025). The reference populations are 19.86 and 18.29 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Chile was 2.74 times that of Ecuador in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Review: 2026-10-08
Cooperation and bilateral issues
Technical cooperation is based on a 1993 agreement and held its fifth meeting in 2022, focusing on human capital training and joint projects. Both countries collaborate on police training and the prevention of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, as well as participating in the Quito Process on human mobility. In 2024 they signed a memorandum for consultations at deputy foreign minister level and held their first meeting. Protection of South Pacific resources and Antarctic cooperation complete a shared maritime agenda. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Chile and Ecuador) totalled 1,309.6 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 566.6 million; those in the opposite direction, 743 million. The difference between the two flows was 176.4 million, in favour of Ecuador. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 1,659.4 million USD in 2021 and 1,309.6 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was -21.1 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2022, at 1,951 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, pharmaceutical products stands out in shipments from Chile to Ecuador, at 50.5 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, mineral fuels and oils stands out in shipments from Ecuador to Chile, at 276.6 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — CHL-ECU
www.minrel.gob.cl · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- UN Comtrade annual data; reused verified primary payload, not re-downloaded
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record
UN Comtrade · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-08
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — gdp
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; country ISO and year preserved; no military data; exact requested country subset independently re-fetched and values compared
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official series — population
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade
2026-10-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-08 · Bounded matrix; reporter, partner, year, chapter and direction identified in each record.