During 2012, the largest sectors by GDP were mining (mainly copper), business services, personal services, manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade. Mining also represented 59.5% of exports in the period, while the manufacturing sector accounted for 34% of exports, concentrated mainly in food products, chemicals and pulp, paper and others.
Agriculture Chile is one of the 5 largest world producers of
cherry and
cranberry, and one of the 10 largest world producers of
grape,
apple,
kiwi,
peach,
plum and
hazelnut, focusing on exporting high-value fruits. In 2018, Chile was the 9th largest producer of
grapes in the world, with 2 million tons produced; the 10th largest producer of
apples in the world, with 1.7 million tons produced; and the 6th largest producer of
kiwi in the world, with 230 thousand tons produced, in addition to producing 1.4 million tons of
wheat, 1.1 million tons of
maize, 1.1 million tons of
potatoes, 951 thousand tons of
tomatoes, 571 thousand tons of
oats, 368 thousand tons of
onions, 319 thousand tons of
peaches, 280 thousand tons of
pears, 192 thousand tons of
rice, 170 thousand tons of
barley, 155 thousand tons of
cherries, 151 thousand tons of
lemons, 118 thousand tons of
tangerines, 113 thousand tons of
oranges, 110 thousand tons of
olives, 106 thousand tons of
cranberries, in addition to smaller productions of other agricultural products. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, logging and fishing accounts only for 4.9% of the GDP as of 2007 and employed 13.6% of the country's
labor force. Some major agriculture products of Chile includes grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool, fish and timber. Chile's position in the
Southern Hemisphere leads to an agricultural season cycle opposite to those of the principal consumer markets, primarily located in the Northern Hemisphere.
Forestry The Chilean forestry industry grew to comprise 13% of the country's total exports in 2005, making it one of the largest export sectors for Chile.
Wine Chile's unique geography and climate make it ideal for winegrowing and the country has made the top ten list of wine producers many times in the last few decades. The popularity of Chilean wine has been attributed not just to the quantity produced but also to increasing levels of quality. The combination of quantity and quality allows Chile to export excellent wines at reasonable prices to the international market.
Mining The mining sector in Chile is one of the pillars of Chilean economy. The Chilean government strongly supports foreign investment in the sector and has modified its mining industry laws and regulations to create a favorable investing environment for foreigners. Thanks to a large amount of copper resources, complaisant legislation and an unregulated investment environment, Chile has become one of the main
copper producers, with almost 30% of the global annual copper output. As of 2024 about of the value of Chilean copper exports is from unrefined
copper concentrate, while
cathode copper –much of it refined in
Chile's copper smelters– stands for the remaining . In addition to copper, Chile was, in 2019, the world's largest producer of
iodine and
rhenium, the
second largest producer of
lithium and
molybdenum, the sixth largest producer of
silver, the seventh largest producer of
salt, the eighth largest producer of
potash, the thirteenth producer of
sulfur and the thirteenth producer of
iron ore in the world. The country also has considerable
gold production: between 2006 and 2017, the country produced annual amounts ranging from 35.9 tonnes in 2017 to 51.3 tonnes in 2013.
Services The service sector in Chile has grown fast and consistently in recent decades, reinforced by the rapid development of communication and information technology, access to education and an increase in specialist skills and knowledge among the workforce. Chilean foreign policy has recognized the importance of the
tertiary sector or service sector to the economy, boosting its international liberalization and leading to the signing of several
free trade area agreements. Chilean service exportation consists mainly of maritime and aeronautical services, tourism, retail (department stores, supermarkets, and shopping centers), engineering and construction services, informatics, health and education. Chile ranked first among Latin American countries (and No. 32 worldwide) in
Adecco's 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI).
Finance and banking Chile's financial sector has grown quickly in recent years, with a banking reform law approved in 1997 that broadened the scope of permissible foreign activity for Chilean banks. The Chilean Government implemented a further liberalization of capital markets in 2001, and there is further pending legislation proposing further liberalization. Over the last ten years, people who live in Chile have enjoyed the introduction of new financial tools such as home equity loans, currency futures and options, factoring, leasing, and debit cards. The introduction of these new products has also been accompanied by an increased use of traditional instruments such as loans and credit cards. Chile's private pension system, with assets worth roughly $70 billion at the end of 2006, has been an important source of investment capital for the capital market. However, by 2009, it was reported that $21 billion had been lost from the pension system to the
2008 financial crisis.
Education Healthcare Telecommunications Retail Tourism , wine and pisco region Tourism in Chile has experienced sustained growth over the last decades. Chile received about 2.25 million foreign visitors in 2006, up to 2.50 million in 2007 The percentages of foreign tourists arrivals by land, air and sea were, respectively, 55.3%, 40.5% and 4.2% for that year. The two main gateways for international tourists visiting Chile are
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport and
Paso Los Libertadores. Chile has a great diversity of natural landscapes, from the Mars-like landscapes of the hyperarid
Atacama Desert to the glacier-fed fjords of the Chilean
Patagonia, passing by the winelands backdropped by the
Andes of the
Central Valley and the old-growth forests of the Lakes District.
Easter Island and
Juan Fernández Archipelago, including
Robinson Crusoe Island, are also major attractions. Many of the most visited attractions in Chile are protected areas. The extensive
Chilean protected areas system includes 32 protected parks, 48 natural reserves and 15 natural monuments.
Infrastructure Energy Transport Water supply and sanitation Science and technology ==Economic policies==