Chile reaffirms its stability and global standing as a reliable partner
The year 2025 was marked by a series of milestones that reinforced Chile's presence on the international stage, from the organization of major sporting events to advances in digital connectivity, institutionality, and economic relations. These events not only increased the country's visibility in various areas, but also reflected its ability to continue actively contributing to global dialogue and cooperation.
Chile hosted sporting events that attracted delegations from around the world, including the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the FIBA AmeriCup , and the Parapan American Youth Games. These events demonstrated the country's ability to host high-standard international competitions, enhancing its visibility and positioning in the global sports arena.
On the international stage, the performance of the Chile Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo, which attracted over 2 million visitors, becoming a prominent meeting point for presenting Chile's identity, talent, and innovation to global audiences. It should be noted that Imagen de Chile also played an active role in the pavilion through the thematic week "Chile, Country of Women".
In economic and trade matters, the Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) between Chile and the European Union came into force, a significant step in the modernization of bilateral relations that promotes new opportunities in trade, investment, and strategic collaboration.
In the institutional sphere, Chile stood out for its level of confidence in the electoral system, leading the region according to Latinobarómetro, which reinforces the country's democratic strength and the international recognition of its institutions. Added to this is the progress made in the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom, where Chile ranked 18th worldwide, maintaining its position as an open and competitive economy.
In terms of digital development, Valparaíso was recognized as the second city in the world with the fastest fixed internet, according to the Speedtest Global Index, reflecting the country's progress in technological infrastructure and connectivity.
These highlights from 2025 reflect a significant year for Chile, which continues to strengthen its international standing and reaffirm its image as a stable, reliable country that is fully integrated into the global arena.
Chilean talent conquering the world
In 2025, Chile once again captured the world's attention in terms of culture and global talent, reinforcing its international image as a creative, diverse country with a strong identity. From music and heritage to extreme sports and urban art, Chileans have excelled with achievements that have put Chile at the center of the global cultural and sporting scene:
The iconic Chilean puppet band and musical show "31 Minutos" marked a cultural milestone by performing on NPR's prestigious Tiny Desk Concerts in Washington, a music venue followed by audiences around the world. Their performance, which premiered in October as part of "Latin Music Month," became one of the most viewed of the year, surpassing millions of views and consolidating the international impact of this Chilean creation in music and pop culture.
In December 2025, UNESCO added Family Tradition Circus in Chile to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting more than two centuries of traveling circus art. This tradition, practiced by circus families who travel through cities and rural towns, was recognized for its cultural, social, and community value.
This is how the Family Tradition Circus became Chile's third intangible cultural heritage, joining the Baile Chino dance, declared in 2014, and Quinchamalí pottery, recognized in 2022.
In sports, golfer Joaquín Niemann ended the year in second place in the individual points standings for the 2025 season of the LIV Golf League, one of the most important circuits in professional golf, after a year of multiple victories and outstanding performances in global tournaments.
The Chilean shooter Francisca Crovetto has continued to establish herself as one of the world's leading exponents of shooting sports. Following her historic gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games, her performance in 2025 keeps her among the international elite in skeet shooting, consolidating her global leadership in the sport.
The outstanding open water swimmer Bárbara Hernández achieved one of the most demanding feats in water sports: swimming across the English Channel and back, a distance of 107 km that she completed in 28 hours, an internationally recognized challenge of endurance and technique.
During 2025, "La Sirena de Hielo" also added her fourth Guinness World Record for the longest swim in freezing waters (3.84 km in Puerto Natales) and in November she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, recognizing her career and achievements.
In urban art, muralist Cristóbal Espinosa, also known as Cristóbal Persona, was honored with the award for Best Mural in the World 2025 by the international platform Street Art Cities for his work "El Charanguista Andino," a piece of urban art that stands out for its cultural depth and connection to Latin American roots.
Chile as an exporting powerhouse, tourist destination, and country brand
In a context of growing international projection, the country is consolidating its position as an export, tourism, and country brand powerhouse, backed by record figures, global distinctions, and an increasingly diverse and sophisticated offering. From the dynamism of service exports and the leadership of the wine industry to milestones that highlight its tourist appeal and the strengthening of its country brand, these advances reflect a coherent, competitive international profile that is aligned with global challenges.
Between January and November 2025, Chile's service exports exceeded US$3 billion for the first time, reaching US$3.034 billion, with growth of 20.5% compared to the same period last year. This result demonstrates progress toward a more diversified and sophisticated offering, with the United States, Peru, and Colombia as the main destinations, along with significant expansion in markets such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The largest contributions came from ICT, management, consulting, and financial services, reinforcing Chile's role as a competitive provider of high value-added services globally.
The Chilean wine industry maintains a prominent presence in the main international rankings, confirming its prestige and quality. The World’s 50 Best Vineyards list ranked VIK as the best vineyard in the world, while Viña Santa Rita was highlighted by Forbes as the best winery globally. This positioning is based on a solid export vocation, with a permanent presence in the most relevant markets, and a diversification strategy that incorporates high-standard experiences, such as wine tourism, reflected in the inauguration in July of the new Concha y Toro Wine Center, which strengthens Chile's image as a wine benchmark and specialized tourist destination.
Chile once again ranked among the world's most attractive destinations by winning the title of World's Leading Adventure Tourism Destination at the World Travel Awards, highlighting its unique geography and the breadth of experiences it offers, from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia and the island territories. Added to this is the distinction as Best Cruise Destination in South America, reinforcing its position as a strategic gateway to the continent by sea, thanks to its extensive coastline, diverse landscapes, and port facilities. Both of these 2025 milestones consolidate Chile as a comprehensive, competitive, and high-standard tourist destination.
Chile ranked as the third most valuable country brand in Latin America in the Global Soft Power Index 2025, one of the leading international studies that measures the reputation, influence, and value of country brands. This result confirms the strengthening of Chile's international perception and its attractiveness for tourism, exports, investment, and cultural projection.
Also in terms of country branding, the Imagen de Chile Foundation's "Made by Chileans"program was recognized at the City Nation Place Awards, one of the most important events in the field of territorial branding at the international level, where it received first place for Best Citizen Commitment for its creative and people-centered approach. The initiative has made it possible to expand the use of the country brand and strengthen the participation of more Chileans in building and projecting Chile's image around the world.
Chile projects itself to the world with leadership in sustainability and science
During 2025, Chile consolidated its international position as a country committed to sustainability, scientific knowledge, and the development of long-term solutions. Global recognition, advances in renewable energy, ecosystem protection, and strategic projects in connectivity and science reflect a vision of the future that addresses the world's major environmental and technological challenges.
In this context, the country ranked 12th worldwide in the Climate Change Performance Index, one of the most relevant indicators in terms of climate action, standing out for its performance in reducing emissions, expanding renewable energy, and strengthening public policies.
At the regional level, Chile also ranked as the leader in Latin America in the Sustainable Development Index, reflecting consistent progress in social, economic, and environmental dimensions and reaffirming its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
These advances were accompanied by the country's best-ever result in the United Nations Human Development Index, demonstrating sustained progress in quality of life, education, health, and well-being, from a comprehensive perspective on development.
In the energy sector, Chile has established itself as a global benchmark by ranking as the second country in the world with the highest proportion of solar energy in its electricity matrix, according to the Ember report, reinforcing its leadership in energy transition.
At the regional level, in the north, the city of Copiapó set a continental milestone by becoming the first in South America to have a fully electric public transport system, which is in line with the national commitment to more sustainable urban mobility and better air quality.
In the south, meanwhile, Valdivia was recognized by the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland City, highlighting its commitment to the protection and management of these ecosystems, which are key to biodiversity and adaptation to climate change.
In terms of science and the future, the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located in the Coquimbo region, one of the most ambitious scientific projects in the world, which positions the country as a key platform for astronomy.
Along the same lines, Chile took a strategic step forward in digital connectivity with the signing of an agreement between the government and Google for the development of the Humboldt Submarine Cable, which will connect South America with Oceania, strengthening digital infrastructure, scientific research, and international integration.
