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Escudo de Lota

Lota

Región del BiobíoFounded 166245.407 inhabitantsPoblación proyectada INE 2024114 km² of area397 inh./km²$22.672M ingreso municipalSINIM · ingreso total percibido · 2024
Profile today2050
The comuna in context · among 346 comunas
Finance
+0%
3rd fastest-growing municipal budget (since 2001)
Explore
Housing
1.962 families
12th most families in encampments
Explore
Society
-11%
29th that lost the most population (since 2002)
Explore
Population
−9%
Population would fall between now and 2050
Society
17,5%
Multidimensional poverty · 199th highest of 346
Education
573,8 pts
around the national median in the PAES (576,9 pts)
Summary

What the comuna hasSource: OpenStreetMap

26 Schools
7 Squares and green areas
6 Health centers
5 Kindergartens
2 Pharmacies
1 Fire stations
1 Hospitals
1 Carabineros

Lota es una comuna y ciudad de Chile ubicada en la provincia de Concepción, Región del Biobío, en la zona sur de Chile. Forma parte de la denominada área metropolitana del Gran Concepción.

Introductory text from Wikipedia, bajo licencia CC BY-SA.

Liveability index · EIU style

53.7 /100
Ver el ranking y simular
#104 of 346 · most liveable in the country (EIU weighting)
Safety59
Health53
Culture and environment53
Education45
Infrastructure54
AuthoritiesWho leads the comuna, its council, sessions and lobbying requests

Mayor · 2024-2028Source: DecideChile · SERVEL

Jaime Vásquez C.
CHILE VAMOS · INDEPENDIENTE
11.629
votes (32.61%)
45.187
Electoral roll
85,33%
Turnout
Mayoral history · 7 terms
JV
Jaime Vásquez C.
2024-2028 · INDEPENDIENTE
11.629
votes
VP
Victor Patricio Marchant Ulloa
2021-2024 · IND
8.301
votes
JV
Jorge Venegas Troncoso
2008-2012 · ILD
10.015
votes
PM
Patricio Marchant Ulloa
2004-2008 · PDC
10.852
votes
PM
Patricio Marchant Ulloa
2000-2004 · PDC
6.873
votes
JV
Jorge Venegas Troncoso
1996-2000 · PS
11.986
votes
JV
Jorge Venegas Troncoso
1992-1996 · PS
4.536
votes

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

Concejo MunicipalSource: DecideChile · SERVEL

EU
Eduvina Unda A.
CHILE MUCHO MEJOR · PARTIDO SOCIALISTA DE CHILE
1.741
votes
AC
Alejandro Cartes R.
CHILE MUCHO MEJOR · INDEPENDIENTE
1.673
votes
CO
Carlos Oyarce V.
CHILE VAMOS RENOVACIÓN NACIONAL - INDEPENDIENTES · RENOVACION NACIONAL
1.469
votes
CE
Camila Escares V.
PARTIDO DE LA GENTE E INDEPENDIENTES · PARTIDO DE LA GENTE
1.428
votes
JC
Jose Carrillo B.
POR CHILE, SEGUIMOS · PARTIDO COMUNISTA DE CHILE
1.079
votes
EA
Erick Azocar V.
CHILE VAMOS UDI-EVOPOLI E INDEPENDIENTES · INDEPENDIENTE
795
votes

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

Este municipio no publica actas del concejo en su Transparencia Activa (obligación de la Ley 20.285); sus sesiones pueden estar solo en video.

Comptroller auditsSource: CGR · Municipal Observatory

Findingstotal
325
Highly complex
67
Audit reports
0
YearFindingsAltam.Compl.Median.Reports
20241156
202233
20213861715
20206414320
2019254119
201852131622

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

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

  • C
    Coopeuch
    Lobby / interest management · 4 audiencias · 2022–2025
  • SC
    Sociedad Concesionaria Autopista Costa Arauco
    Lobby / interest management · 3 audiencias · 2018–2025
  • BC
    Bz Comercializadora SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2025
  • CD
    Centro de Custodia de Vehiculos Infractores
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2025–2026
  • Cd
    Club Deportivo y Social de Tenis Lota
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2022
  • Md
    Mutual de Seguridad de la Cámara Chilena de la Construcción
    Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2024–2025
  • Pc
    Patitas Callejeras Lota
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2023
  • SE
    Sicom Electronics International S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2022
  • CA
    Constructora Andes y Cia. Ltda.
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • KS
    Kimche SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2022
  • HS
    Health Systems Design & Connection
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • EN
    Empresa Nacional de Energia Enex S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2024
  • AG
    APS Gestión SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2022
  • CS
    Corporacion Sistema Colectivo de Gestion de Envases y Embalajes Resimple
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2024
  • SC
    Sociedad Concesionaria Hospitales Red Biobio, S.A.
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2025
  • Fi
    Fdd Innovacion y Crecimiento S.a. ( Amipass)
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • CE
    Comercial e Importacion Cero Veintiuno Limitada
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • MS
    Maitsan Soluciones SpA
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • I
    Ist
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2021
  • IE
    Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Pedro Juan Ltda.
    Lobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2022
and 16 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

51.148
inhabitants
45.329
inhabitants
20022025

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

See the full trajectory to 2050
Since 2002
-12%
inhabitants
Estimated population 2050
41.199
-7% vs. 2035 (44.525)
Over 60 · 2050
39,17%
29,56% in 2035 · +10 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)97,81 %CENSO 2017 2017
School disengagement (leaves the system)0,5 %MINEDUC 2023
School enrollment478 studentsMINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
Municipal enrollment42,9 %MINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024
PAES reading comprehension (DEMRE)573,8 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
PAES mathematics M1 (DEMRE)583,3 ptsDEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026
poblacion_censo39.980 inh.2024 Census 2024
Income poverty (CASEN 2022)8,4 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Pobreza multidimensional (CASEN 2022)17,5 %CASEN 2022 · SAE Observatorio MDSF 2022
Indigenous peoples11,49 %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 682 students registered for the PAES.

Registro Social de Hogares

People in the RSH
44.734
23.723 households
Households in the most vulnerable 40%
13.420
57% of RSH households
Female-headed households
50%
11.935
Elderly (60+)11.28525%
Children and adolescents (<18)9.11320%
Foreign nationals2010%
Belonging to indigenous peoples2.8106%
People with moderate/severe dependency8882%
Single-person households11.71449%

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
8.845
27 schools
Students per teacher
10,5
845 teachers
national median: 10,15
Average attendance
89,5%
national median: 89,8%
Priority studentsSEP
70,1%
socioeconomic vulnerability
national median: 66,8%
Where they study · by provider
Public (municipal + SLEP) 48%Private subsidized 52%
Pass rate
96,6%
national median: 98,2%
Dropoutschool withdrawal
1,07%
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
35.895
79% of the population
Doctors employed
21
Health staff by contract type
Permanent staff: 216Contract staff: 114Fee contracts: 0
Primary-care medical visits · per year
39.462
80.969
20102025
Medical specialties served · 16 in the comuna (public system)
OphthalmologyInternal MedicineOtorhinolaryngologyAdult GynecologyAdult General SurgeryPediatricsAdult NeurologyAdult UrologyAdult PsychiatryObstetricsPediatric NeurologyAdult CardiologyChild PsychiatryAdult Respiratory MedicineAnesthesiology
surgery:Urology

Specialties with services recorded at the comuna's public facilities (REM DEIS, 2024). These are services performed, not doctor headcount. Excludes the private network.

Comprehensive home visits · per year
3.134
2.974
20192025

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 (35.819 in total)
CenterTypeProvider typeEnrollees% brackets A-B
Centro de Salud Familiar Dr. Juan Cartes AriasFamily Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal19.58258%
Centro de Salud Familiar Dr. Sergio Lagos Olave (Ex Nº 4 Lota Bajo)Family Health Center (CESFAM)Municipal15.23262%
Centro Comunitario de Salud Familiar ColcuraCommunity Family Health Center (CECOSF)Municipal1.00563%

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

Costs · 2025
Health spending accrued: $10.230.398.000 ($285.009/enrollee)MINSAL per capita: $5.316.749.000Municipal contribution: $720.000.000

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

Indigenous population
4.593
11.5% of the census population (Census 2024)
PeoplePeople% of total
Mapuche4.39095.6%
Aymara1272.8%

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
12
Councils per 1,000 inhabitants
0.3
density of territorial organization
Non-profit organizations
1.654
the entire active civil fabric
Committees (water, housing, progress)
322
Social and aid
317
Sports
117
For the elderly
80
Cultural
42
Foundations and corporations
18
Religious
15
Trade associations and cooperatives
5
Fire brigades
1

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.

7 Local media · 2 Comunitaria · 5 FMSource: SUBTEL · broadcasting licences · Regional Media Survey (MSGG)

Local mediaTypedial
ECEL CARBONFM94.1 FM
FMFM MAXFM95.5 FM
MCMATIAS COUSIÑOFM106.1 FM
NMNUEVO MUNDOFM103.3 FM
BCBio-Bio Comunicaciones S.A. · holderFM103.5 FM
CCCentro Cultural Plenitud de Vida · holderComunitaria107.1 FM
FdFundacion de Estudios Teologicos de Lota · 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
496
1,2% of the census population (Census 2024)
Main origin
Venezuela
207 people · 42% of the foreigners
Main countries of origin
207 Venezuela
76 Argentina
71 Colombia
36 Perú

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
1.962
30 encampments (2024 Registry)
Housing deficit
802
5,8% of the comuna's households
Housing permits · 2024
15
1.282 m² · new construction
Subsidies Integrated System · DS01
211
paid · 2011–2025
Subsidies Solidarity Fund · DS49
1.468
beneficiaries · 2012–2026
Subsidies Rental · DS52
120
paid · 2014–2024

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

29.065homes · by type (2017)
House
14.253 · 92%
House
12.888 · 94.9%
Apartment
628 · 4.1%
Apartment
600 · 4.4%
Shack/hut/shanty
487 · 3.1%
Other private
79 · 0.5%
Shack/improvised dwelling
55 · 0.4%
Room in old house/tenement
33 · 0.2%
Other private
31 · 0.2%
Mobile
5 · 0%
Room in old house/tenement
4 · 0%
Mobile
1 · 0%
Indigenous dwelling
1 · 0%
85%owner-occupied · tenure (2002)
Owned outright
9.828 · 78.9%
Rented
967 · 7.8%
Owned, being paid off
815 · 6.5%
Free of charge
561 · 4.5%
Provided for work
283 · 2.3%

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

ResourcesBudget, spending, municipal procurement and more

Benefits under special regimesSource: Laws/SII/BCN/MTT/Treasury · deep-research verified

Fiscal or economic treatments that apply only to this comuna or its zone, not the rest of Chile. The chip color shows who it reaches: municipality, community, residents, companies or workers.

Others
Asignación de zona 20% (DL 249)workerspreliminary data
DL 249/1974 art. 7 · DL 3.551/1980 art. 25 · Ley 19.354

Sobresueldo mensual a funcionarios públicos según aislamiento/costo de vida: 20% del sueldo base (art. 7 DL 249). A los funcionarios municipales llega vía art. 25 del DL 3.551/1980 y el monto se aumenta en 40% (Ley 19.354) — salud primaria municipal (Ley 19.378) la percibe sin ese aumento; asistentes de la educación y personal de corporaciones no la perciben (Código del Trabajo). El %/territorio usa la división de 1974: dentro de una comuna pueden regir % mayores en localidades específicas (retenes, islas, cordillera) no reflejados acá; la CGR resuelve caso a caso. Comunas sin asignación no aparecen.

20% del sueldo base (municipal: ×1,4 por Ley 19.354)· vigente (art. 7 versión 22-dic-2021, verificado 2026-07-02)Source

Budget and revenue sourcesSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Total revenue · 2025
$22.671.863.000
Own revenue
$2.435.465.000
11% of the total
Municipal Common Fund
$10.967.460.000
48% of the total
State transfers
$7.766.585.000
34% of the total
Ingreso total y desglose de ingresos propios

Total revenue · trend (2001–2025)

$4.953.405.000
$22.671.863.000
20012024

Own revenue breakdown (IPP) · 2025

10.1%
20.7%
17.3%
6.0%
45.9%
Property tax$246.408.000
Business licenses$503.559.000
Vehicle permits$420.892.000
Cleaning fees$146.611.000
Other own revenue$1.117.995.000
Special-law revenues · 2025
Mining licenses (Law 19.143): $789.000

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

Revenue by sector · 2025
49.3%
25.6%
25.1%
Municipal$22.671.863.000
Education$11.772.240.000
Health$11.556.202.000
Municipal Common Fund balance · 2025
Net recipient: it receives $10.248.567.000 more than it contributes.
Evolución por fuente de ingreso

Permanent own revenue (IPP) · trend

$466.478.000
$2.435.465.000
20012024

FCM received · trend

$1.597.364.000
$10.967.460.000
20012024

State transfers · trend

$2.005.820.000
$7.766.585.000
20012024

Municipal spending and budget executionSource: SINIM · SUBDERE

Current budget · 2025
$31.092.792.000
Accrued spending · 2025
$24.793.390.000
Execution rate
79.7%
Unexecuted: $6.299.402.000
Low execution: it only executed 79.7% of the budget — $6.299.402.000 unspent.

Accrued spending · trend

$4.412.973.000
$24.793.390.000
20012024

Distribution by management area · 2025

80.2%
17.2%
Internal management$19.883.385.000
Community services$4.274.217.000
Social programs$352.540.000
Municipal activities$228.818.000
Recreational programs$46.644.000
Cultural programs$8.466.000

What the budget is spent on · 2025

Spending lineAmount% of spending
Municipal healthcare (primary care) · comuna health-sector spending$10.230.398.00041.3%
Investment (works and projects)$9.142.310.00036.9%
Goods and services (operations) · supplies, contracts, maintenance$5.995.186.00024.2%
Municipal personnel · municipal wages and fees$4.530.748.00018.3%
Cleaning, garbage and landfills · waste collection and disposal$2.651.995.00010.7%
Transfers to education$1.801.472.0007.3%
Electricity (facilities)$919.323.0003.7%
Transfers to health$720.000.0002.9%
Water (facilities)$152.692.0000.6%
Councillor stipends$76.762.0000.3%
Travel allowances$10.840.0000.0%
Commissions and representation$412.0000.0%

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

18.3%
24.2%
57.5%
Personnel (Subt. 21)$4.530.748.000
Goods and services (Subt. 22)$5.995.186.000
Others$14.267.456.000

Personnel by contract type · 2025

57.1%
31.5%
9.7%
Permanent staff$2.633.441.000
Contract staff$1.451.733.000
Fee contracts$445.574.000
Labor Code$71.817.000
Community progs.$11.150.000

Municipal headcount · 2023

56.5%
34.7%
8.8%
Permanent staff109
Contract staff67
Fee contracts17
Total: 193 staffFee contracts: 8.8% of the headcountWomen: 44.9%Professionalization: 27.8%
Cost/staffer permanent: $23.334.266/yearCost/staffer contract: $22.028.746/yearCost/staffer fees: $15.438.588/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: $9.142.310.000 (36.9% of spending)Councillor stipends: $76.762.000Travel allowances: $10.840.000Commissions and representation: $412.000

Basic and general services · 2025

Garbage and landfills: $2.651.995.000Electricity: $919.323.000Water: $152.692.000

Final works approvals (DOM) · per year

174
13
20012024

Building permits issued · per year

620
191
20122024

What it buys · Mercado PúblicoSource: ChileCompra · open data

Open profile in Monitor Mercado Público
Historic amount
$77.192.549.878
Purchase orders
66.441

Purchase-order amount · trend

$763.689.756
$2.551.728.628
20072026
Top suppliersAmountPOs
El Membrillar$5.032.022.24617
Constructora y Comercializadora Mosil Limitada$1.548.607.894498
Abastible S.A.$1.228.168.436524
Erick Roberto$753.245.70024
Carlos Espejo y Cía. Ltda.-$700.136.8531.121
Opko Chile S.A.$666.496.188411
Compania de Petroleos de Chile Copec S.A.$590.441.204394
Improfor Ltda.$572.580.4002

Purchase mechanism · 2026

Tender $1.154.271.40445%
Agile Purchase $876.919.82534%
Framework Agreement $283.682.59211%
Direct award discretionary$236.854.8099%

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

Registered companies
1.695
domiciled in the comuna
Dependent workers
5.544

Pyramid by sales bracket

66.4%
9.6%
22.7%
Micro (≤2,400 UF)1.126 companies
Small (≤25k UF)162 companies
Medium (≤100k UF)18 companies
Large (>100k UF)5 companies
No sales/no info384 companies

Largest companies domiciled in the comuna

CompanyLine of businessSales bracketWorkers
Tulsa S aINDUSTRIA MANUFACTURERALarge 4 (>1M UF)386
Lota Protein S aAGRICULTURA, GANADERIA, SILVICULTURA Y PESCALarge 4 (>1M UF)138
Servicios Industriales Acosta y Cia. LimitadaINDUSTRIA MANUFACTURERALarge 1616
Ingen SpAACTIVIDADES PROFESIONALES, CIENTIFICAS Y TECNLarge 1123
Comercializadora Santibanez Zapata LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACLarge 117
Construcciones y Servicios Cob LimitadaINDUSTRIA MANUFACTURERAMedium 2115
Comercial y Servicios Castañeda y Stela LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACMedium 275
Sociedad Pedro Campos y Compania LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACMedium 222
Comercial Super LimitadaCOMERCIO AL POR MAYOR Y AL POR MENOR; REPARACMedium 214
Cecinas Lota S aINDUSTRIA MANUFACTURERAMedium 213

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
0
US$ 0 M declared
Approved last 5 years
4
US$ 63 M declared
Construction jobsapproved 5 yrs
290
peak labor
ProjectOwnerStatusInvestment (US$M)Constr. jobs
Fuerte Viejo LotaDIASec Servicios de Construcción y EdiApproved25,9140
Planta Elaboradora de Congelados de Pescados LotaDIAAlimar S.A.Approved1875
Ampliación Capacidad de Proceso de Planta Elaboradora de Harina y AceiDIALota Protein SpAApproved17,460
Optimización Operacional Planta LotaDIAIndustrias Isla Quihua S.A.Approved1,715

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
24 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.

vigenteleña residencialMP2,5
PPDA Concepción Metropolitano
DS 6/2018 · published 2019 · see plan

Zone with decontamination plan Plan Concepcion Metropolitano · critical pollutant MP2.5

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

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

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.

152
Species
91
Flora
61
Fauna
49
In conservation status
31
Endemic to Chile
Species in conservation category
PitaoPitavia punctataENQueuleGomortega keuleENHuillipatagua, naranjillo, pataguaCitronella mucronataVUBelloto del norte, belloto (genérico)Beilschmiedia miersiiVURuilNothofagus alessandriiENPocha de los lagosCheirodon galusdaeVUBelloto del surBeilschmiedia berteroanaENPuyeBrachygalaxias bullockiVULamprea de agua dulceMordacia lapicidaENCauqueOdontesthes mauleanumVUSapo de vanzoliniAlsodes vanzoliniiENRana chilenaCalyptocephalella gayiVUBagre grandeNematogenys inermisENGruñidor del sur, lagarto de corbataPristidactylus torquatusVUCarmelita de concepciónPercilia irwiniENBagrecitoBullockia maldonadoiENSapoEupsophus roseusVUSapo de nahuelbutaEupsophus nahuelbutensisENPerca negraPercichthys melanopsVUPochaCheirodon pisciculusVUCarmelitaPercilia gillissiENPejerrey chilenoBasilichthys australisVUPeladillaAplochiton zebraENLinguePersea lingueVUOlivillo, teque, tique, palo muerto, aceitunilloAextoxicon punctatumVUPuyeGalaxias maculatusVULamprea de bolsaGeotria australisVUCanelo, boique, voigue, fuñe, choólDrimys winteriENBagrecitoTrichomycterus areolatusVUPudúPudu puduVURanita de darwinRhinoderma darwiniiENZarapito de pico recto, aguja café, becasina de mar, hudsonian godwit (inglés)Limosa haemasticaVUZorro colorado, zorro culpeo, zorro coloradode tierra del fuego, zorro culpeo de tierra del fuegoLycalopex culpaeusVUAraucaria, pehuén, piñonero, pino piñonero, pino chileno, pino araucaria, pewen, guiliuAraucaria araucanaENGüiñaLeopardus guignaVUChungungo, nutria marina, gato de mar, chinchiménLontra felinaENSapoEupsophus vertebralisVUHualoNothofagus glaucaNTPelícano peruano, pelícano de humboldtPelecanus thagusNTLilePhalacrocorax gaimardiNTPerca truchaPercichthys truchaNTSapito de cuatro ojosPleurodema thaulNTPilpilén, pilpilén común, american oystercatcher (inglés)Haematopus palliatusNTChorlo de collarCharadrius collarisNTConcón, kongkong, lechuza batarazStrix rufipesNTPalito negro, doradillaAdiantum chilenseNTPumaPuma concolorNTRana de ceja, ranita de antifazBatrachyla taeniataNTPalmilla, quilquil, arriquilquilBlechnum hastatumNT

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.

4 Wetlands · 4 urban · 22 haSource: National Wetlands Inventory · SIMBIO (MMA)

CodeWetlandHectares
HUR-08-50Colcuraurban11
HUR-08-28Chivilingourban7
HUR_08-38Playa Blancaurban4
HUR-08-130Hualqui 2urban1

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. 8 projects totaling US$ 808 million, approved between 1997 and 2026. When a project spans several comunas, its investment is split among them.

Forestry1 project · US$ 667 M · 2014
Celulosa Arauco y Constitución S.A..Modernización Ampliación Planta Arauco
Real estate2 projects · US$ 49 M · 2014–2023
Sec Servicios de Construcción y Edificación S.A.Fuerte Viejo Lota · Proyecto Loteo Conjunto Habitacional Ex Fundición
Transport Infrastructure1 project · US$ 45 M · 2008
Sociedad Concesionaria Autopista Costa Arauco S.A.Concesión Ruta 160 tramo Tres Pinos - Acceso Norte a Coronel
Fishing and Aquaculture2 projects · US$ 35 M · 2025–2026
Alimar S.A.Planta Elaboradora de Congelados de Pescados Lota · Ampliación Capacidad de Proceso de Planta Elaboradora de Harina y Aceite de Pescado
Energy1 project · US$ 12 M · 1997
Gasoducto del Pacífico S.A.Gasoducto Trasandino y Distribución de Gas Natural en Chile
Others1 project · US$ 0 M · 2017
Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Polykarpo S.A.Ampliación Transporte Terrestre de Sustancias Químicas

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
Frontel
Empresa sanitaria (agua y alcantarillado)
ESSBIO
Higher education
1 campus in the comuna

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
1
on projects in the comuna
Case no.Parties / projectSubjectDecision
47629-2016
3TA
Comunidad Mapuche Sucesión Quiñimil Pirul y otros con Comisión de Evaluación Ambiental VIII Región.
Modernización Ampliación Planta Arauco
Administrative invalidationRejects

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 (2024)

Green space per capita
2 m²
20% of 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
26
Historic monuments
25
Heritage zones
1

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
ES - LOTAPTAS · emisario submarinoESSBIO S.A. · discharges into mar
Where this comuna's waste goes
Relleno Sanitario Cemarc (Penco) · 18.103 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
55
Area affected
5 ha
mostly shrubland
Cumulative last 5 seasons
60 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
58
At high or very high risk
49
27 very high
Main threat
Inundación por desborde de c…
Inundación por desborde de cauce

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.

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

Mean annual temperature
12,44°C
2035-2065 projection: +1,21°C
Annual precipitation
1.629 mm
projection: -1%
Hot days>30°C
1
projection: +5 days
Frost days
4

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
2.038
all crimes
Rate per 100,000 inhab.
4.488
Police cases · trend
3.393
2.038
20102025
By crime type · 2025
CrimeCasesRate/100k
Threats346762
Domestic violence250551
Burglary of an uninhabited place176388
Minor injuries174383
Property damage172379
Larceny114251
Alcohol and drug use in public spaces97214
Robbery with violence or intimidation95209
Weapons-related crimes89196
Burglary of an inhabited place74163
Drug-related crimes60132
Serious or very serious injuries50110

Showing the 12 crimes with most cases of 27.

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
16
Guards and inspectors
0
1 per 45.407 hab
Patrol fleet
6
cars, pickups, motorcycles, bikes
Patrol fleet by type
Pickups: 6
Surveillance cameras · trend
10
16
20202024

Road crashesSource: CONASET · Data Observatory (2024)

Crashes · 2024
126
Deaths
2
4,4 per 100,000 inhab.
Injured
116
13 serious
Pedestrian collisions
18
1 pedestrian killed

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.

Lota, Región del Biobío · Monitor Municipios