Intergovernmental Profile: Chile

Chile’s 1980 Constitution (as revised up to 2021) provides the basis for Chile’s intergovernmental structure at the state and local levels, dividing the country into 16 regions and 346 municipalities. Regions are further subdivided into provinces (56). Prior to the 2021 election of regional governors, regions were effectively deconcentrated units of the national government, led by a presidentially appointed Regional Intendant (now: Regional Delegate). In turn, the governance and administration of each province is vested in a provincial presidential delegation, a territorially decentralized body headed by a provincial presidential delegate. Provinces are further subdivided into municipalities.

Chile is generally considered to be one of the most centralized countries in the region, given the limited autonomy and authority of regions and–to a somewhat lesser degree–municipalities. At the regional level, it is useful to consider two separate de facto regional entities: regional governments (led by an elected regional governor and council), and the regional administration, led by the presidentially-appointed Regional Delegate (previously, Intendant). While quite severely limited in their (de facto) authority and autonomy, Regional Governments are de jure and de facto corporate bodies that meet the basic features of devolved subnational governments. Despite the presence of the elected Regional Government since 2021, most public sector functions and public infrastructure continue to be delivered in a deconcentrated (non-devolved) manner, as Regional Delegates continue to direct the Regional Ministerial Secretaries (centrally-appointed representatives of the respective ministries in the region), who are administratively subordinate to the Regional Delegate. In contrast, municipalities operate as true corporate entities, and should be considered devolved general-purpose local governments with extensive authority and autonomy (although their concurrent functional responsibilities are subject to greater vertical coordination than their exclusively local functions).

The functional assignment among different government levels–especially the distribution of funcional responsiblities between national government and regions–is currently in flux. The Regional Governments have limited responsiblities for regional infrastructure, whereas the deconcentratred regional administrations serve as the main intermediate level of the public sector. Recurrent public sector functions continue to fall under the regional administrative units of national ministries, while the distribution of responsiblities and funds between regional governors versus the regional delegates is contentious and unclear, especially with respect to regional infrastructure. Municipalities are in charge of providing numerous local public services, including health, education, urban planning, solid waste, and others.