Rural depopulation in Chile: analysis of demographic trends at local level

Abstract

Currently, depopulation assumes dramatic proportions in contexts such as the Mediterranean area, especially in inland regions of Spain and the so-called “internal areas” in Italy. In Latin America, this phenomenon, which has emerged in recent decades, is being studied mainly in relation to urbanization and deagrarianization dynamics, particularly affecting countries that have experienced significant social and economic transformations in rural areas, such as Chile. Cultural changes, shifts in life expectations, and transformations in the economic and productive structure in rural contexts are crucial for understanding the loss of population. This article addresses this issue through quantitative data analysis with geographic references at both national and communal levels, seeking to identify a supra-regional area where population loss in rural areas is most evident. Subsequently, a method for constructing profiles of communes experiencing rural depopulation is developed, using data from the Rural Quality of Life Indicators System (SICVIR) and census data from the period 2002-2017.