Household spending in Chile: where the family budget goes, according to the INE

Household spending in Chile averages CLP 1,451,782 a month, according to the 9th Household Budget Survey (EPF) by the INE, Chile's statistics agency, the country's broadest snapshot of consumption. Half of households spend at most about CLP 1.1 million. The largest item is food, at 21.2% of the budget.

CLP 1,451,782

Average monthly spending

per household

CLP 1,413,349

Average monthly income

excluding imputed rent

21.2%

Food

of total spending

Source: INE, 9th Household Budget Survey (October 2021 to September 2022)

View the data as a table

Average monthly spending	CLP 1,451,782 | per household
Average monthly income	CLP 1,413,349 | excluding imputed rent
Food	21.2% | of total spending

Where household spending in Chile goes

The EPF surveyed 15,134 households in regional capitals between October 2021 and September 2022. This is how the budget is split:

Food and non-alcoholic beverages21.2%

Housing and utilities16%

Transport15%

Health7.9%

Information and communications6.7%

Restaurants and accommodation6.1%

Furniture and household equipment6.1%

Insurance and financial services4.5%

Recreation, sport and culture4.4%

Education4%

Personal care and other3.7%

Clothing and footwear2.8%

Alcohol and tobacco1.5%

Source: INE, 9th Household Budget Survey

View the data as a table

Food and non-alcoholic beverages	21.2%
Housing and utilities	16%
Transport	15%
Health	7.9%
Information and communications	6.7%
Restaurants and accommodation	6.1%
Furniture and household equipment	6.1%
Insurance and financial services	4.5%
Recreation, sport and culture	4.4%
Education	4%
Personal care and other	3.7%
Clothing and footwear	2.8%
Alcohol and tobacco	1.5%

Food, housing and transport account for more than half of spending. On food alone, the average household spends CLP 307,947 a month.

How consumption has changed since 2017

Compared with the previous survey (2016-2017), households spend a larger share on essentials and a smaller share on everything else:

Item	2016-2017	2021-2022
Food	19.2%	21.2%
Housing and utilities	14.5%	16.0%
Insurance and financial services	3.5%	4.5%
Education	6.5%	4.0%
Recreation, sport and culture	5.3%	4.4%
Clothing and footwear	3.5%	2.8%

Source: INE, 9th Household Budget Survey.

The INE highlights two changes: the rise in food and the drop in education.

Who spends more than they earn

The survey's most striking finding is that only the highest-income fifth of households spends less than it earns. The poorest 20% of households earn an average of CLP 462,503 a month but spend CLP 901,162. The top fifth, by contrast, earns more than CLP 3.2 million and spends about CLP 2.5 million.

By area, household spending in Chile is higher in Greater Santiago (CLP 1,590,105) than in the northern (CLP 1,325,057), central (CLP 1,254,635) and southern (CLP 1,247,895) macro-zones.