Summary
What the comuna hasSource: OpenStreetMap
Liveability index · EIU style
37.4 /100AuthoritiesWho leads the comuna, its council, sessions and lobbying requests
Mayor · 2024-2028Source: DecideChile · SERVEL
Mayoral history · 7 terms
SERVEL · TRICEL (1992-2008) · DecideChile (2024) · Wikidata (pre-1992)
Concejo MunicipalSource: DecideChile · SERVEL
Concejo MunicipalSource: DecideChile · SERVEL
Official council minutesSource: CPLT · Active Transparency inventory (Law 20.285)
Official council minutesSource: CPLT · Active Transparency inventory (Law 20.285)
Este municipio tiene carpetas de actas del concejo en su Transparencia Activa, pero SIN documentos publicados (incumplimiento de la Ley 20.285).
Comptroller auditsSource: CGR · Municipal Observatory
Comptroller auditsSource: CGR · Municipal Observatory
| Year | Findings | Altam. | Compl. | Median. | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 21 | 2 | 19 | — | 1 |
| 2024 | 29 | 7 | 22 | — | 1 |
| 2018 | 37 | 7 | 18 | 12 | 2 |
CGR severity classification · audit findings on the municipality and its corporations
Who requests meetings with the municipalitySource: InfoLobby · CPLT (Law 20,730)
Who requests meetings with the municipalitySource: InfoLobby · CPLT (Law 20,730)
- OAOtec Agencia Internacional de Formación para la Excelencia Ltda.Lobby / interest management · 2 audiencias · 2018
- SdServicios de Ingeniería Civil LimitadaLobby / interest management · 1 audiencia · 2020
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
How it has changedSource: Official INE series 2002–2026 (2017 base).
See the full trajectory to 2050 →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.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Homes with public water supply (2017 Census) | 68,07 % | CENSO 2017 2017 |
| School disengagement (leaves the system) | 3,4 % | MINEDUC 2023 |
| School enrollment | 21 students | MINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024 |
| Municipal enrollment | 100 % | MINEDUC · aggregated by hexagons 2024 |
| PAES reading comprehension (DEMRE) | 553 pts | DEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026 |
| PAES mathematics M1 (DEMRE) | 578,9 pts | DEMRE · MINEDUC datos abiertos 2026 |
| poblacion_censo | 1.903 inh. | 2024 Census 2024 |
| Indigenous peoples | 17,55 % | 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 18 students registered for the PAES — far too few: this comuna’s average is unreliable.
Registro Social de Hogares
| Elderly (60+) | 550 | 26% |
| Children and adolescents (<18) | 364 | 17% |
| Foreign nationals | 41 | 2% |
| Belonging to indigenous peoples | 292 | 14% |
| People with moderate/severe dependency | 13 | 1% |
| Single-person households | 576 | 51% |
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
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
Specialties with services recorded at the comuna's public facilities (REM DEIS, 2024). These are services performed, not doctor headcount. Excludes the private network.
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.
| Center | Type | Provider type | Enrollees | % brackets A-B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Posta de Salud Rural el Malito | Rural Health Post (PSR) | Municipal | 44 | 80% |
| Posta de Salud Rural Puerto Ramírez | Rural Health Post (PSR) | Municipal | 38 | 63% |
FONASA brackets A-B ≈ lowest incomes (A: without resources). Source: FONASA, as of Dec 31, 2025, DEIS code.
Indigenous peoplesSource: 2024 Census (INE) · CONADI via IDE SMA
| People | People | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Mapuche | 329 | 98.5% |
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
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 · FMSource: SUBTEL · broadcasting licences · Regional Media Survey (MSGG)
2 Local media · FMSource: SUBTEL · broadcasting licences · Regional Media Survey (MSGG)
| Local media | Type | dial |
|---|---|---|
| EDESTRELLA DEL MAR | FM | 95.1 FM |
| SFSoc. Futuro Ltda. · holder | FM | 89.5 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
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
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
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.
17% de las remuneraciones imponibles (hasta tope base ~$182.000 reajustable IPC) de trabajadores con domicilio y trabajo permanente en la zona. En Aysén/Magallanes/Chiloé/Palena solo si la remuneración supera en 20% el salario mínimo.
Crédito contra renta de 1ª categoría por inversiones sobre 500 UTM destinadas a producción de bienes/servicios. Por tramos: 32% hasta 200.000 UTM, 15% entre 200k–2,5M UTM, 10% sobre 2,5M UTM; tope 80.000 UTM por contribuyente.
Los residentes compran mercaderías en la zona franca primaria sin pagar impuestos ni derechos de internación, pagando solo un gravamen especial de 0,46% sobre el valor CIF (tasa vigente desde 1-abr-2019, se reajusta). Caveat: la cobertura exacta de la extensión (p. ej. Alto Hospicio) es ambigua en la propia documentación BCN 2025.
Más de 50% de descuento en pasajes en rutas Chaitén/Ayacara/Isla Talcán–Puerto Montt para habitantes de la provincia de Palena.
Tarifas rebajadas en 5 modos de transporte (+900.000 personas), con complemento extra para zonas extremas/australes. La "Tarifa Cero" da pasaje GRATUITO, pero solo para 65+ y personas con discapacidad (con sola cédula), en 130+ servicios incluyendo barcazas. Para el residente común es descuento, no gratuidad.
Sobresueldo mensual a funcionarios públicos según aislamiento/costo de vida: 90% 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.
Budget and revenue sourcesSource: SINIM · SUBDERE
Ingreso total y desglose de ingresos propios
Total revenue · trend (2001–2025)
Own revenue breakdown (IPP) · 2025
Special-law revenues · 2025
Distributed by law to specific comunas; they arrive via transfers.
Revenue by sector · 2025
Municipal Common Fund balance · 2025
Evolución por fuente de ingreso
Permanent own revenue (IPP) · trend
FCM received · trend
State transfers · trend
Municipal spending and budget executionSource: SINIM · SUBDERE
Municipal spending and budget executionSource: SINIM · SUBDERE
Accrued spending · trend
Distribution by management area · 2025
What the budget is spent on · 2025
| Spending line | Amount | % of spending | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal personnel · municipal wages and fees | $1.425.313.000 | 33.1% | |
| Investment (works and projects) | $1.400.443.000 | 32.5% | |
| Goods and services (operations) · supplies, contracts, maintenance | $452.861.000 | 10.5% | |
| Transfers to education | $449.883.000 | 10.5% | |
| Municipal healthcare (primary care) · comuna health-sector spending | $442.096.000 | 10.3% | |
| Electricity (facilities) | $86.611.000 | 2.0% | |
| Transfers to health | $85.000.000 | 2.0% | |
| Councillor stipends | $81.271.000 | 1.9% | |
| Cleaning, garbage and landfills · waste collection and disposal | $33.207.000 | 0.8% | |
| Travel allowances | $24.358.000 | 0.6% | |
| Water (facilities) | $5.751.000 | 0.1% | |
| Commissions and representation | $361.000 | 0.0% |
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
Personnel by contract type · 2025
Municipal headcount · 2023
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
Basic and general services · 2025
Final works approvals (DOM) · per year
Building permits issued · per year
What it buys · Mercado PúblicoSource: ChileCompra · open data
Open profile in Monitor Mercado Público ↗
What it buys · Mercado PúblicoSource: ChileCompra · open data
Purchase-order amount · trend
| Top suppliers | Amount | POs |
|---|---|---|
| Miguel Angel | $2.389.063.873 | 1 |
| Miguel Ernesto | $1.708.715.480 | 17 |
| Vargas-Valenzuela y Compañia Limitada | $1.606.546.660 | 1 |
| Gringo | $1.204.113.257 | 40 |
| Alonso Enrique Schilling Peña | $958.546.470 | 6 |
| Americanos | $784.364.526 | 3.741 |
| Transportes y Servicios Osmar SpA | $689.946.325 | 4 |
| Debor Giovanni Triviño Uribe | $683.227.860 | 14 |
Purchase mechanism · 2026
| Tender | $867.606.679 | 71% |
| Agile Purchase | $286.925.244 | 23% |
| Direct award discretionary | $36.452.388 | 3% |
| Framework Agreement | $34.768.700 | 3% |
Companies and economic activitySource: SII · company statistics and roster (domicile/HQ)
Pyramid by sales bracket
Largest companies domiciled in the comuna
| Company | Line of business | Sales bracket | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mantencion Electrica Jose Edgardo Bahamonde Barria, Empresa Individual de Respon | SUMINISTRO DE ELECTRICIDAD, GAS, VAPOR Y AIRE | Medium 1 | 68 |
| I Municipalidad de Palena | ADMINISTRACION PUBLICA Y DEFENSA; PLANES DE S | No sales | 209 |
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.
TerritoryClimate, biodiversity, national heritage, SEIA-approved projects and more
Roads and motorwaysSource: OpenStreetMap · 2026 snapshot
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 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
3 Wetlands · 2 urban · 2.023 haSource: National Wetlands Inventory · SIMBIO (MMA)
3 Wetlands · 2 urban · 2.023 haSource: National Wetlands Inventory · SIMBIO (MMA)
| Code | Wetland | Hectares |
|---|---|---|
| HUR-10-61 | Rio Azul - Arroyo Blancourban | 1.370 /2.501 |
| HPU-10-15 | Rio Espolon | 653 /1.350 |
| HUR-11-02 | Sist. Cuenca Rio Palenaurban | 0 /5.327 |
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).
Basic utilitiesSource: SISS · CNE · MINEDUC
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.
Green areasSource: SINIM · SUBDERE (2025)
Green areasSource: SINIM · SUBDERE (2025)
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.
Territorial burdensSource: SUBDERE (waste, Jun 2023) · Gendarmería (Jun 2025) · SISS (WWTP)
Territorial burdensSource: SUBDERE (waste, Jun 2023) · Gendarmería (Jun 2025) · SISS (WWTP)
Infrastructure this comuna carries — often serving others.
| Facility | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Basural de Palena | Basural | 790 t/year |
Official registries: they exclude illegal dumps and rural WWTPs (no consolidated public registry).
Forest firesSource: CONAF · Occurrence and damage statistics (2023-2024)
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)
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)
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)
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
| Crime | Cases | Rate/100k |
|---|---|---|
| Property damage | 20 | 1.095 |
| Threats | 17 | 931 |
| Alcohol and drug use in public spaces | 16 | 876 |
| Domestic violence | 10 | 548 |
| Larceny | 6 | 329 |
| Minor injuries | 6 | 329 |
| Threats or brawls (misdemeanor) | 3 | 164 |
| Less serious injuries | 2 | 110 |
| Weapons-related crimes | 1 | 55 |
| Crimes and offenses under the arms law | 1 | 55 |
| Sexual harassment | 1 | 55 |
| Drug-related crimes | 1 | 55 |
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.
Road crashesSource: CONASET · Data Observatory (2024)
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.