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Zapallar

Valparaíso8.368 inhabitantsPoblación proyectada INE 2024288 km² of area29 inh./km²$30.462M ingreso municipalSINIM · ingreso total percibido · 2025
Profile today2050
The comuna in context · among 346 comunas
Finance
$3.431.528/inhab.
13th highest budget per inhabitant
Explore
Finance
+2.018%
16th fastest-growing municipal budget (since 2001)
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Finance
-18 pts
22nd biggest gain in autonomy from the Common Fund (since 2001)
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Population
+17,5%
Population would grow between now and 2050
Society
26,6%
Multidimensional poverty · 45th highest of 346
Finance
$3,6 million
per inhabitant per year · rank 13 of 346
Education
597,5 pts
above the national median in the PAES (576,9 pts)
Finance
334th
most dependent on the Common Fund of 340
Summary

What the comuna hasSource: OpenStreetMap

7 Squares and green areas
4 Carabineros
4 Schools
4 Health centers
3 Pharmacies
2 Kindergartens
2 Fire stations
1 Rodeo arenas (medialunas)

Liveability index · EIU style

45.3 /100
Ver el ranking y simular
#231 of 346 · most liveable in the country (EIU weighting)
Safety15
Health39
Culture and environment70
Education49
Infrastructure56
AuthoritiesWho leads the comuna, its council, sessions and lobbying requests

Mayor · 2024-2028Source: DecideChile · SERVEL

Gustavo Alessandri B.Re-elected
CHILE VAMOS · INDEPENDIENTE
6.193
votes (69.49%)
10.293
Electoral roll
89,4%
Turnout
Mayoral history · 7 terms
GA
Gustavo Alessandri B.
2024-2028 · INDEPENDIENTE
6.193
votes
GA
Gustavo Alessandri Bascuñan
2021-2024 · IND
3.709
votes
NC
Nicolás Cox Urrejola
2008-2012 · RN
2.784
votes
NC
Nicolás Cox Urrejola
2004-2008 · RN
2.133
votes
FR
Federico Ringeling Hunger
2000-2004 · RN
1.621
votes
FR
Federico Ringeling Hunger
1996-2000 · RN
1.244
votes
PR
Paulina Ruiz-Tagle Irarrázabal
1992-1996 · RN
558
votes

SERVEL · TRICEL (1992-2008) · DecideChile (2024) · Wikidata (pre-1992)

Concejo MunicipalSource: DecideChile · SERVEL

LG
Luis Guajardo A.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · RENOVACION NACIONAL
1.284
votes
SC
Sebastian Chacana B.
CHILE VAMOS UDI-EVOPOLI E INDEPENDIENTES · UNION DEMOCRATA INDEPENDIENTE
867
votes
DF
Danilo Fernandez P.
CHILE MUCHO MEJOR · PARTIDO SOCIALISTA DE CHILE
855
votes
RF
Reinaldo Fernandez S.
VERDES LIBERALES POR UNA COMUNA SEGURA · INDEPENDIENTE
818
votes
CR
Carmen Ringeling V.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · INDEPENDIENTE
810
votes
CG
Cecilia Garcia Huidobro M.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · INDEPENDIENTE
405
votes

Official council minutesSource: CPLT · Active Transparency inventory (Law 20.285)

What the council resolvesSource: Official minutes · AI extraction (ongoing)

Resolutions extracted
63
of 71 minutes read
Money involved
$4.470.482.393
sum of resolutions with amounts
ResolutionTypeAmountVote
138 · Participación de la Municipalidad en la Asociación de Municipalidades de la Región de Valparaíso.Otherunanimidad
137 · Modificación presupuestaria municipal con aumento y disminución en ingresos y gastos.Budget amendment$1.234.678unanimidad
136 · Modificación presupuestaria del Departamento de Salud con aumento y disminución en ingresos y gastos.Budget amendment$81.824unanimidad
4.3 · Adjudicación de licitación pública para suministro de mediaguasTender$40.000.000unanimidad
4.2 · Pago a Patricia Briones Estay por acuerdo judicial laboralSettlement$28.000.000unanimidad
4.1 · Aprobación propuesta de espacios para propaganda electoralOtherunanimidad

Resolutions voted by the council, automatically extracted from the official minutes (extraction ongoing: coverage grows as the 94.917 indexed minutes are processed). May contain reading errors; the official document is the municipality's PDF.

Comptroller auditsSource: CGR · Municipal Observatory

Findingstotal
158
Highly complex
44
Audit reports
0
YearFindingsAltam.Compl.Median.Reports
20221045
2021954
202027189
201919838
201815195
20174927147

CGR severity classification · audit findings on the municipality and its corporations

Who requests meetings with the municipalitySource: InfoLobby · CPLT (Law 20,730)

  • IM
    Inversiones Marchigue
    Lobby / interest management · 9 audiencias · 2024–2026
  • A
    Arquigestión
    Lobby / interest management · 7 audiencias · 2025–2026
  • IZ
    Inmobiliaria Zapallar Uno SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2020–2025
  • ES
    Esval S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2016–2025
  • W
    Wom
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2021–2023
  • CD
    Compania de Petroleos de Chile Copec S a
    Lobby / interest management · 5 audiencias · 2022–2023
  • II
    Inversiones Isidora SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2019–2021
  • ys
    Yes S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2015–2018
  • SI
    Servicios Integrales Sercoven Ltda.
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2024–2025
  • il
    Inmobiliaria las Frutillas SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2019–2025
  • IO
    Inversiones Ossandon S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2016–2025
  • IH
    Inmobiliaria Hcg SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 3 audiencias · 2020–2021
  • CG
    Compañía General de Electricidad S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 3 audiencias · 2022–2025
  • IM
    Inmobiliaria Meyer
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2023–2025
  • CB
    Constructora Balmaceda Ltda.
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2025
  • CD
    Corporacion Desarrollo Zapallar
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2021–2026
  • pc
    Parque Cachagua
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2017–2019
  • IC
    Inmobiliaria Costa Norte S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2019
  • Sd
    Sociedad de Inversiones Nueva Málaga SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2025
and 92 more organizations that requested meetings

Organisations that registered Lobby Law meetings with this municipality. Registering the meeting is mandatory for the official, so the list shows who asked to be heard, not whether they got anything.

PopulationWho lives here, how they study, their healthcare and more

Population and living conditionsSource: INE · CENSO · MINEDUC · ADIS

Population trend

5.867
inhabitants
8.454
inhabitants
20022025

How it has changedSource: Official INE series 2002–2026 (2017 base).

See the full trajectory to 2050
Since 2002
+46%
inhabitants
Estimated population 2050
10.030
+9% vs. 2035 (9.238)
Over 60 · 2050
36,19%
29,18% in 2035 · +7 pts of ageing

INE projects comuna population only through 2035; the 2050 values are an own estimate by the monitor, anchored to the official INE 2050 national total (21,626,079 inhab, 32.1% aged 60+). Not an official comuna figure.

IndicatorValueSource
Homes with public water supply (2017 Census)81,5 %CENSO 2017 2017
School disengagement (leaves the system)2,5 %MINEDUC 2023
School enrollment99 studentsMINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
Municipal enrollment50 %MINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
PAES reading comprehension (DEMRE)597,5 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
PAES mathematics M1 (DEMRE)615,8 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
poblacion_censo7.980 inh.2024 Census 2024
Income poverty (CASEN 2022)4,3 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Pobreza multidimensional (CASEN 2022)26,6 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Indigenous peoples5,78 %2024 Census 2024

The PAES year is that of the admission process: the test is sat in November of the previous year. The average covers only those who registered to apply to university —not every secondary-school graduate— and groups them by the comuna of the school they graduated from, not by where the student lives. Here it rests on 177 students registered for the PAES.

Registro Social de Hogares

People in the RSH
9.415
4.763 households
Households in the most vulnerable 40%
2.538
53% of RSH households
Female-headed households
49%
2.332
Elderly (60+)2.36425%
Children and adolescents (<18)1.97021%
Foreign nationals2182%
Belonging to indigenous peoples3444%
People with moderate/severe dependency1121%
Single-person households2.15745%

A monthly administrative snapshot of the Social Household Registry (self-registration to access benefits), as of abril 2026. The "bracket 40" is the socioeconomic rating of the most vulnerable 40%. It is a registry, not a survey: it complements CASEN (biennial) with fresh data, but well-off comunas under-register. Source: ADIS, Ministry of Social Development and Family.

School educationSource: MINEDUC Open Data 2025

School enrollment
2.061
5 schools
Students per teacher
10,9
189 teachers
national median: 10,15
Average attendance
86,4%
national median: 89,8%
Priority studentsSEP
55%
socioeconomic vulnerability
national median: 66,8%
Where they study · by provider
Public (municipal + SLEP) 77%Private subsidized 23%
Pass rate
98,5%
national median: 98,2%
Dropoutschool withdrawal
1,56%
dropout during the year
national median: 1,77%

Aggregate of all the comuna's schools (RBD → comuna). Pass/withdrawal and attendance are from the 2025 school year. SIMCE is not published as open data (managed by the Quality Agency, by request only); the available quality proxy is passing, dropout and attendance. The PAES result appears in the social section.

Municipal healthcare (primary care)Source: SINIM · MINSAL / FONASA

CESFAM
2
Clinics
0
Rural health posts
0
FONASA enrollees
9.873
118% of the population
Doctors employed
8
Health staff by contract type
Permanent staff: 72Contract staff: 41Fee contracts: 40
Primary-care medical visits · per year
15.043
37.799
20102025
Comprehensive home visits · per year
502
544
20192024

REM-26 section A (DEIS/MINSAL): comprehensive family visits, summed across the comuna's facilities. The last year is partial while DEIS consolidates monthly reports.

Comuna's primary-care centers · FONASA 2025 enrollees (9.879 in total)
CenterTypeProvider typeEnrollees% brackets A-B
Centro de Salud Familiar ZapallarFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal4.96054%
Posta de Salud Rural CatapilcoFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal4.91956%

FONASA brackets A-B ≈ lowest incomes (A: without resources). Source: FONASA, as of Dec 31, 2025, DEIS code.

Costs · 2025
Health spending accrued: $4.767.750.000 ($482.908/enrollee)MINSAL per capita: $1.626.419.000Municipal contribution: $1.951.000.000

Indigenous peoplesSource: 2024 Census (INE) · CONADI via IDE SMA

Indigenous population
461
5.8% of the census population (Census 2024)
PeoplePeople% of total
Mapuche28762.3%
Diaguita12426.9%

2024 Census: people who consider themselves as belonging to an indigenous people (small counts are suppressed for confidentiality at the source and not shown). Communities: CONADI national registry as of March 2024 — Araucanía and Los Lagos not refreshed in that update, the count is a floor. Land grants: 2022 registry.

Community organizationSource: RPJSFL Civil Registry (Law 20.500/19.418) · as of Jun 2026

Active neighborhood councils
14
Councils per 1,000 inhabitants
1.7
density of territorial organization
Non-profit organizations
133
the entire active civil fabric
Committees (water, housing, progress)
33
Social and aid
27
Sports
17
For the elderly
5
Cultural
5
Foundations and corporations
3
Fire brigades
2

All the comuna's active non-profit legal entities (Law 20.500 / 19.418), classified by organization name. It portrays the civil fabric: not just neighborhood councils, also committees, sports clubs, cultural and elderly groups, foundations and fire brigades.

2 Local media · 1 Comunitaria · 1 FMSource: SUBTEL · broadcasting licences · Regional Media Survey (MSGG)

Local mediaTypedial
VVALENTINAFM103.3 FM
FpFundacion para la Digitalizacion de la Radio · holderComunitaria107.5 FM

The dial (frequency) of every FM, AM and community radio with a studio in the comuna (SUBTEL, active sound broadcasting concessions). National networks appear in their headquarters' comuna, not necessarily where they broadcast. When SUBTEL records no brand name, its holder (the concession holder).

Foreign-born populationSource: 2024 Census · INE

Foreign nationals
228
2,9% of the census population (Census 2024)
Main origin
Venezuela
62 people · 27% of the foreigners
Main countries of origin
62 Venezuela
35 Perú
32 Argentina
19 Colombia

International immigrants per the 2024 Census (people born outside Chile living in the comuna). Nationwide they are 1,608,650 people, 8.8% of the population.

Housing and housing deficitSource: MINVU (Encampment Registry + 2024 Census deficit + subsidies) · INE

Families in informal settlements
10
1 encampment (2024 Registry)
Housing deficit
114
4,1% of the comuna's households
Housing permits · 2024
93
22.417 m² · new construction
Subsidies Integrated System · DS01
78
paid · 2011–2025
Subsidies Solidarity Fund · DS49
16
beneficiaries · 2013–2023
Subsidies Rental · DS52
14
paid · 2014–2025

Encampments: MINVU National Registry 2024 (irregular settlements and the families living in them). Quantitative deficit: homes missing per the 2024 Census (doubling-up + unrecoverable overcrowding). Permits: new homes authorized by the Works Directorate in 2024 (INE) — measures future construction, not stock. Subsidies: MINVU by application comuna — DS49 accrues beneficiaries by resolution year; DS01 and DS52 accrue payments by application cohort (national totals in the source file differ ~1–6% from the comuna sum; the comuna series is published).

What the homes are like

9.719homes · by type (2017)
House
6.170 · 88.7%
House
2.752 · 99.5%
Apartment
693 · 10%
Shack/hut/shanty
50 · 0.7%
Other private
28 · 0.4%
Room in old house/tenement
7 · 0.1%
Mobile
6 · 0.1%
Shack/improvised dwelling
4 · 0.1%
Other private
4 · 0.1%
Apartment
3 · 0.1%
Room in old house/tenement
2 · 0.1%
72%owner-occupied · tenure (2002)
Owned outright
1.012 · 65.8%
Provided for work
175 · 11.4%
Rented
170 · 11.1%
Free of charge
92 · 6%
Owned, being paid off
89 · 5.8%

Housing type: 2017 Census · tenure: 2002 Census (INE).

ResourcesBudget, spending, municipal procurement and more

Budget and revenue sourcesSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Total revenue · 2025
$30.462.034.000
Own revenue
$22.694.918.000
75% of the total
Municipal Common Fund
$2.033.373.000
7% of the total
State transfers
$221.999.000
1% of the total
Ingreso total y desglose de ingresos propios

Total revenue · trend (2001–2025)

$1.438.407.000
$30.462.034.000
20012025

Own revenue breakdown (IPP) · 2025

36.9%
41.6%
12.0%
Property tax$8.372.472.000
Business licenses$9.441.547.000
Vehicle permits$2.720.593.000
Cleaning fees$831.541.000
Other own revenue$1.328.765.000
Special-law revenues · 2025
Mining licenses (Law 19.143): $21.887.000

Distributed by law to specific comunas; they arrive via transfers.

Revenue by sector · 2025
72.5%
16.5%
11.0%
Municipal$30.462.034.000
Education$6.911.814.000
Health$4.627.869.000
Municipal Common Fund balance · 2025
Net contributor: it contributes $2.621.045.000 more than it receives.
Evolución por fuente de ingreso

Permanent own revenue (IPP) · trend

$775.484.000
$22.694.918.000
20012025

FCM received · trend

$281.328.000
$2.033.373.000
20012025

State transfers · trend

$15.349.000
$221.999.000
20012025

Municipal spending and budget executionSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Current budget · 2025
$34.816.495.000
Accrued spending · 2025
$30.805.562.000
Execution rate
88.5%
Unexecuted: $4.010.933.000
Medium execution: it executed 88.5%. Left unspent: $4.010.933.000.

Accrued spending · trend

$1.423.636.000
$30.805.562.000
20012025

Distribution by management area · 2025

65.1%
23.2%
Internal management$20.040.507.000
Community services$7.132.602.000
Social programs$1.371.744.000
Municipal activities$958.357.000
Recreational programs$835.165.000
Cultural programs$467.187.000

What the budget is spent on · 2025

Spending lineAmount% of spending
Goods and services (operations) · supplies, contracts, maintenance$7.936.544.00025.8%
Municipal personnel · municipal wages and fees$6.657.996.00021.6%
Municipal healthcare (primary care) · comuna health-sector spending$4.767.750.00015.5%
Cleaning, garbage and landfills · waste collection and disposal$2.360.169.0007.7%
Transfers to health$1.951.000.0006.3%
Investment (works and projects)$1.435.265.0004.7%
Transfers to education$1.253.973.0004.1%
Electricity (facilities)$536.414.0001.7%
Street lighting$191.348.0000.6%
Councillor stipends$85.061.0000.3%
Water (facilities)$63.426.0000.2%
Travel allowances$17.085.0000.1%

Share of total accrued spending. Lines overlap (personnel sits inside several areas), so they don't add to 100%. Source: SINIM.

Personal y dotación municipal

Spending composition · 2025

21.6%
25.8%
52.6%
Personnel (Subt. 21)$6.657.996.000
Goods and services (Subt. 22)$7.936.544.000
Others$16.211.022.000

Personnel by contract type · 2025

28.4%
10.4%
23.1%
17.9%
20.1%
Permanent staff$3.054.402.000
Contract staff$1.118.771.000
Fee contracts$2.484.823.000
Labor Code$1.926.068.000
Community progs.$2.164.969.000

Municipal headcount · 2023

75.9%
24.1%
Permanent staff110
Contract staff35
Total: 145 staffWomen: 48.3%Professionalization: 35.9%
Cost/staffer permanent: $26.552.564/yearCost/staffer contract: $25.372.943/year

Municipal staff by contract status (SINIM, 2023). Cost per staffer = annual spending of the type ÷ same-year headcount.

Inversión, servicios básicos y obras

Investment and authorities' expenses · 2025

Municipal investment: $1.435.265.000 (4.7% of spending)Councillor stipends: $85.061.000Travel allowances: $17.085.000

Basic and general services · 2025

Garbage and landfills: $2.360.169.000Street lighting: $191.348.000Electricity: $536.414.000Water: $63.426.000

Final works approvals (DOM) · per year

309
107
20012025

Building permits issued · per year

182
103
20122025

What it buys · Mercado PúblicoSource: ChileCompra · open data

Open profile in Monitor Mercado Público
Historic amount
$110.260.723.738
Purchase orders
28.120

Purchase-order amount · trend

$2.121.438.071
$7.901.229.387
20072026
Top suppliersAmountPOs
Ecometro Urbanismo S.A.$5.905.106.31890
Eduardo Torreblanca y Compania Limitada$4.962.998.3034
Cristian Hernán Morales Acevedo$3.345.894.92857
Espacio y Jardin S.A.$2.830.382.86176
Constructora Balmaceda Ltda.$2.389.779.2201
Manuel Alejandro$2.001.686.5573
Ergonnova SpA$1.960.598.908262
Gabriela$1.939.611.85433

Purchase mechanism · 2026

Tender $7.183.844.95491%
Framework Agreement $356.016.5595%
Agile Purchase $241.072.6173%
Direct award discretionary$120.295.2572%

Companies and economic activitySource: SII · company statistics and roster (domicile/HQ)

Registered companies
2.102
domiciled in the comuna
Dependent workers
3.845

Pyramid by sales bracket

43.1%
27.3%
6.6%
19.5%
Micro (≤2,400 UF)907 companies
Small (≤25k UF)574 companies
Medium (≤100k UF)138 companies
Large (>100k UF)74 companies
No sales/no info409 companies

Largest companies domiciled in the comuna

CompanyLine of businessSales bracketWorkers
Inversiones Costanera SpAACTIVIDADES PROFESIONALES, CIENTIFICAS Y TECNLarge 4 (>1M UF)1
Inversiones y Asesorias Iculpe LimitadaACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 4 (>1M UF)1
Inversiones Desarrollo y Futuro S aACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 4 (>1M UF)
Inversiones Ultima Esperanza LimitadaACTIVIDADES INMOBILIARIASLarge 3
Agricola Portoseguro S.A.AGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 221
Inversiones las Ninas dos SpAACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 24
Inversiones Amal LimitadaACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 23
Inversiones Ansol Ltda.ACTIVIDADES DE SERVICIOS ADMINISTRATIVOS Y DELarge 23
Inversiones Kikemaupi S.A.ACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 22
Inversiones Bartolome LimitadaACTIVIDADES FINANCIERAS Y DE SEGUROSLarge 21

SII roster of legal entities (public). Due to tax secrecy sales come in brackets, never amounts. The comuna is that of the domicile/HQ: operations may be elsewhere.

Investment in SEIA projects

Under review
1
US$ 24 M declared
Approved last 5 years
2
US$ 12 M declared
Construction jobsunder review
46
+ 8 in operations
Construction jobsapproved 5 yrs
40
peak labor
ProjectOwnerStatusInvestment (US$M)Constr. jobs
Sistema de Captación, Desalación y Distribución de agua de mar, sectorEIAGw la Ligua SpAUnder Review118,979230
Planta Fotovoltaica San Marino SolarDIASan Marino Solar SpAApproved1240
Transporte terrestre de ácido sulfúrico entre la región de Arica y ParDIAAsociación Gremial de Dueños de CamApproved9,72

Investment DECLARED by the owner upon entering SEIA (not necessarily materialized; the RCA expires after 5 years without works). Multi-comuna projects: prorated investment, jobs counted in full. Jobs = declared peak labor (source PRISMA/SOFOFA). Source: e-SEIA + PRISMA.

TerritoryClimate, biodiversity, national heritage, SEIA-approved projects and more

Roads and motorwaysSource: OpenStreetMap · 2026 snapshot

Kilometres of trunk road
17 km
Motorways and trunk roads crossing the comuna

Road infrastructure of the MOP and concession holders, not the municipality: it measures how much highway crosses the territory, not municipal management. Only comunas with roads of this category are counted.

Environment and air qualitySource: MMA · SINCA + PPDA + RETC

No air monitoring station (SINCA) in the comuna.

Air emissions from industrial sources · tons/year (RETC 2020)
0 t MP10
0 t MP2,5
0 t SO₂

Air quality observed at MMA's SINCA stations within the comuna (2020); when there are several, the worst is shown. The scale compares the annual average with the WHO 2021 guideline (PM2.5 = 5 · PM10 = 15 µg/m³, international health reference) and the Chilean annual primary standard (PM2.5 = 20 · PM10 = 50 µg/m³): green within the WHO guideline, amber between guideline and standard, red above the national standard. "Days above standard" use the 24-h daily standard (PM2.5 = 50 · PM10 = 150 µg/m³). RETC emissions = declared point sources (industry/energy), excludes diffuse sources like residential firewood.

Biodiversity and protected areasSource: SNASPE · SEIA baselines

Nearest protected wilderness area (SNASPE)
La CampanaNational Parkat 40.7 km

Species of flora, fauna and funga documented in the baselines of the projects evaluated by SEIA in the comuna — what their environmental studies recorded in the territory. Conservation status (RCE/IUCN) and Chilean endemism are flagged.

240
Species
159
Flora
80
Fauna
1
Funga
68
In conservation status
52
Endemic to Chile
Species in conservation category
Belloto del norte, belloto (genérico)Beilschmiedia miersiiVUSapo de ruloRhinella aruncoVUQueuleGomortega keuleENUvilloMonttea chilensisENParamela de til-tilAdesmia resinosaENPalma chilena, palmera chilena, palmera de coquitos, palma de miel, palma de vino de chile, can – canJubaea chilensisENPejerrey chilenoBasilichthys australisVUBelloto del surBeilschmiedia berteroanaENRuilNothofagus alessandriiENGuayacánPorlieria chilensisVURoble de santiago, roble blanco, roble, hualle, pellín,hualoNothofagus macrocarpaVUSandillón, asiento de la suegraEriosyce aurataVUHuillipatagua, naranjillo, pataguaCitronella mucronataVULagartija de schröederLiolaemus schroederiVUPatagua, patahuaCrinodendron pataguaVUPitaoPitavia punctataENPancoraAegla laevisENGruñidor de valeriaPristidactylus valeriaeENPochaCheirodon pisciculusVUCascarudo de las docasCallyntra multicostaENLagarto gruñidor de álvaroPristidactylus alvaroiCRVaquita del desierto de paposoGyriosomus angustusENTollo de agua dulceDiplomystes chilensisENBagre grandeNematogenys inermisENVaquita de la isla choros, vaquita del desiertoGyriosomus granulipennisVUAñañucaPhycella scarlatinaVUAraucaria, pehuén, piñonero, pino piñonero, pino chileno, pino araucaria, pewen, guiliuAraucaria araucanaENPiuquén, piquén, guayataChloephaga melanopteraENRatón topo del matorralChelemys megalonyxVUTricahueCyanoliseus patagonusENGuanacoLama guanicoeVULinguePersea lingueVUZorro colorado, zorro culpeo, zorro coloradode tierra del fuego, zorro culpeo de tierra del fuegoLycalopex culpaeusVUComadrejita trompudaRhyncholestes raphanurusVUTarántula chilena rosada, araña pollitoGrammostola roseaVUPuyeGalaxias maculatusVUOlivillo, teque, tique, palo muerto, aceitunilloAextoxicon punctatumVUCanelo, boique, voigue, fuñe, choólDrimys winteriENAbejorro, abejorro colorado, moscardón, duillin, diwmeñ, abejorro gigante de la patagonia, don basilioBombus dahlbomiiENChungungo, nutria marina, gato de mar, chinchiménLontra felinaENBallena de aleta, rorcual comúnBalaenoptera physalusCRBallena sei, rorcual bacalao, rorcual de rudolphiBalaenoptera borealisCRChinchilla cordilleranaChinchilla chinchillaCRGüiñaLeopardus guignaVUAlerceFitzroya cupressoidesENLagarto nítidoLiolaemus nitidusNTIguanaCallopistes maculatusNTHitigu, arrayán de hoja rojaMyrceugenia rufaNTSapo arrieroAlsodes nodosusNTLagartija de manchaLiolaemus nigromaculatusNTCarbonillo, mendozaCordia decandraNT-Copiapoa coquimbanaNTHualoNothofagus glaucaNTPumaPuma concolorNTColo-coloLeopardus colocoloNTSapito de cuatro ojosPleurodema thaulNTPalmilla, quilquil, arriquilquilBlechnum hastatumNTCóndorVultur gryphusNTPalito negro, doradillaAdiantum chilenseNTLilePhalacrocorax gaimardiNT
and 8 more

CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened (Species Classification Regulation / IUCN). ★ endemic to Chile. Extracted from SEIA studies by kingdom; presence reflects what baselines characterized, not a census.

5 Wetlands · 5 urban · 271 haSource: National Wetlands Inventory · SIMBIO (MMA)

CodeWetlandHectares
HUR-05-124Embalse La Laguna de Catapilcourban135
HUR-05-05Laguna Zapallarurban116 /148
HUR-05-125Tranque El Tebalurban12
HUR-05-04Tranque Cachaguaurban7
HUR-05-36Sector Playa Cachaguaurban1

Area = hectares of wetland within the comuna boundary (apportioned using the DPA table of each record). For wetlands shared between comunas, "portion / total" is shown. "Urban" = urban wetland (HUR code). Official source migrated to the SBAP (Law 21,600).

Large projects approved by SEIASource: SEIA · approved projects

Projects with an environmental permit (RCA) approved by SEIA and declared investment above US$ 10 million, located in the comuna according to the case file and grouped by sector. Every sector with at least one project is listed: this is not a ranking or a selection. 10 projects totaling US$ 134 million, approved between 2002 and 2021. When a project spans several comunas, its investment is split among them.

Energy4 projects · US$ 108 M · 2015–2021
Interchile S.A.Plan de Expansión Chile LT 2x500 kV Cardones - Polpaico · Parque Solar Don Sebastián
Others6 projects · US$ 26 M · 2002–2017
Impregnadora Laguna Ltda.Impregnadora de Maderas Laguna Ltda. El Blanquillo Zapallar · TRANSPORTES DE SUSTANCIAS PELIGROSAS REGIONES XV, I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, RM, TRANSPORTES BELLO E HIJOS LTDA.

Approved is not the same as built or operating: the RCA authorises the project, but some were never carried out and others have since closed.

Source: projects with an RCA approved by SEIA (investment declared by the developer, split among the comunas the project spans). Under each sector are its two largest projects by investment. It is the best public proxy for large industrial sites; SERNAGEOMIN’s registry of active mining operations (by mineral and type of operation) is a layer not yet incorporated.

Basic utilitiesSource: SISS · CNE · MINEDUC

Distribuidora eléctrica
CGE
Empresa sanitaria (agua y alcantarillado)
ESVAL
Higher education
No campus · nearest in Puchuncaví at 18.5 km

Almost no comuna has its own utility: it is served by a major regional concession holder. Water = urban operational territory (SISS; rural goes via APR); electric = concession distributor per the tariff decree (CNE); higher education = university, IP and CFT campuses (MINEDUC/SIES), with the nearest comuna when there are none.

Environmental conflictsSource: SNIFA · SMA + Environmental Search · Environmental Courts

Appeals before the Environmental Courts

Appeals
2
on projects in the comuna
Case no.Parties / projectSubjectDecision
R-240-2020
2TA
Organización Comunitaria Funcional Vecinos Los Nogales / Director Ejecutivo del Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental
Plan de Expansión Chile LT 2x500 kv Cardones-Polpaico
Administrative invalidationRejects
104693-2020
2TA
Esval S.A. en contra del Director Ejecutivo Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental
Ampliación del Sistema de Tratamiento de Aguas Servidas de Zapallar
Environmental assessment - Territorial compatibilityRejects

Appeals resolved by the Environmental Courts (Law 20.600) on the comuna's projects or facilities, geolocated by the associated project (SEIA) or sanctioned facility (SMA). Partial coverage: Supreme Court appeals and cases without a locatable act are excluded. Source: 1st Environmental Court's Environmental Search.

Green areasSource: SINIM · SUBDERE (2025)

Green space per capita
53 m²
above the CNDU standard
standard 10 m²

Municipally maintained green area per inhabitant (SINIM). The National Urban Development Council recommends a minimum of 10 m²/inhab (WHO, ~9). Self-reported by municipalities, with quality varying across comunas.

National heritageSource: National Monuments Council (Feb 2026)

National monuments
5
Historic monuments
2
Heritage zones
1
Nature sanctuaries
2

Monuments declared by decree (official CMN roster). Excludes archaeological and public monuments. Declaration entails legal protection and intervention restrictions.

Territorial burdensSource: SUBDERE (waste, Jun 2023) · Gendarmería (Jun 2025) · SISS (WWTP)

Infrastructure this comuna carries — often serving others.

FacilityTypeDetail
PTAS - CACHAGUAPTAS · lodos activadosESVAL S.A. · discharges into riego
PTAS - LA LAGUNAPTAS · lodos activadosESVAL S.A. · discharges into estero catapilco
PTAS - ZAPALLARPTAS · sbrESVAL S.A. · discharges into estero q. de cadillos
Where this comuna's waste goes
Relleno Sanitario Loma Los Colorados (Tiltil) · 6.818 t/year

Official registries: they exclude illegal dumps and rural WWTPs (no consolidated public registry).

Forest firesSource: CONAF · Occurrence and damage statistics (2023-2024)

Wildfires · 2023-2024
6
Area affected
3 ha
mostly grassland
Cumulative last 5 seasons
454 ha
includes the 2022-2023 mega-season

Occurrence and area affected by wildfires (CONAF). The 5-season cumulative gives a fairer picture than a single year: fire is episodic and big catastrophes concentrate in few seasons. The area is comuna-wide, not just urban.

Winter riskSource: SENAPRED · winter critical points 2026 (via FAU U. de Chile)

Critical points registered
46
At high or very high risk
29
5 very high
Main threat
Deslizamiento/Derrumbe/Rodad…
Deslizamiento/Derrumbe/Rodado/Caída

Points in the comuna where SENAPRED identifies winter-rain risk (channel overflows, flooding, collector collapse, landslides, mudflows, snow), with risk level and the agency responsible for the fix.

Water scarcitySource: DGA · MOP (scarcity-zone decrees)

No scarcity decree in force today.
Years under decree since 2008
11
latest: 2022 · drought chronicity

DGA water-scarcity zone decrees (by comuna, province or region; basin decrees are not counted here, so chronicity is a floor). The decree enables extraordinary water redistribution measures. At the megadrought's peak (2021) 286 comunas were under decree; today 26.

Climate and climate changeSource: ARClim · MMA + CR2/UC (CMIP6 modeling)

Mean annual temperature
14,26°C
2035-2065 projection: +0,99°C
Annual precipitation
333 mm
projection: -5%
Hot days>30°C
0
projection: +2 days
Frost days
1

Modeled climatology (CMIP6 downscaling ~5 km): present ≈ 1980-2010, projection ≈ 2035-2065 middle scenario. Not recent weather observation.

SafetyCrime, road crashes and municipal security infrastructure

Crimes (police cases)Source: CEAD · Ministry of Public Security

Police cases · 2025
636
all crimes
Rate per 100,000 inhab.
7.600
Police cases · trend
1.070
636
20102025
By crime type · 2025
CrimeCasesRate/100k
Property damage1101.315
Alcohol and drug use in public spaces81968
Larceny68813
Theft of items from vehicles67801
Domestic violence58693
Threats55657
Burglary of an inhabited place44526
Minor injuries30359
Burglary of an uninhabited place23275
Motor vehicle theft19227
Drug-related crimes16191
Sexual abuse9108

Showing the 12 crimes with most cases of 25.

Police cases (reports + arrests) recorded by Carabineros and PDI. Not victimization (ENUSC measures the real figure, higher due to underreporting). The rate uses INE 2024 population. Source: CEAD, Ministry of Public Security.

What the municipality does

Municipal security infrastructure and staff declared to SINIM (since 2016). Excludes Carabineros and PDI, which are national.

Surveillance cameras
87
Guards and inspectors
0
1 per 8.368 hab
Patrol fleet
8
cars, pickups, motorcycles, bikes
Security booths
1
Patrol fleet by type
Pickups: 6Motorcycles: 2
Surveillance cameras · trend
32
87
20202025

Road crashesSource: CONASET · Data Observatory (2024)

Crashes · 2024
27
Deaths
2
23,9 per 100,000 inhab.
Injured
32
5 serious
Pedestrian collisions
1

Crashes georeferenced by CONASET (urban + highway) during 2024. The only per-comuna source; covers ~70% of the country's deaths (non-geolocatable ones are excluded), so it slightly underestimates the total. Pedestrian collision is the leading cause of pedestrian death.