Chile received 2,963,936 foreign tourists between January and July 2026, 19.1% fewer than in the same period of 2025. Argentina is still the top market, with 1,164,624 arrivals, but it fell 39.7%, and in July Brazil overtook it for the first time this year: 152,265 Brazilians against 86,633 Argentines. That is what the official series of foreign tourist arrivals shows; it is compiled by Sernatur with data from the Investigative Police (PDI) and published by Chile's Undersecretariat of Tourism.
*Updated on October 19, 2026 with data through July 2026.* This ranking is updated on this same page every time the Undersecretariat publishes a new month.
Foreign tourists in Chile by country: January-July 2026 ranking
| # | Country | Jan-Jul 2025 | Jan-Jul 2026 | Change | 2026 share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 1,931,583 | 1,164,624 | -39.7% | 39.3% |
| 2 | Brazil | 393,203 | 393,783 | +0.1% | 13.3% |
| 3 | Bolivia | 300,224 | 276,600 | -7.9% | 9.3% |
| 4 | Peru | 197,600 | 209,176 | +5.9% | 7.1% |
| 5 | United States | 135,041 | 148,592 | +10.0% | 5.0% |
| 6 | Colombia | 77,456 | 82,315 | +6.3% | 2.8% |
| 7 | Spain | 40,500 | 42,076 | +3.9% | 1.4% |
| 8 | Germany | 37,297 | 39,289 | +5.3% | 1.3% |
| 9 | Australia | 21,193 | 38,881 | +83.5% | 1.3% |
| 10 | France | 35,723 | 38,350 | +7.4% | 1.3% |
| 11 | Uruguay | 35,337 | 36,798 | +4.1% | 1.2% |
| 12 | England | 32,094 | 35,338 | +10.1% | 1.2% |
| 13 | Mexico | 30,533 | 31,763 | +4.0% | 1.1% |
| 14 | China | 22,198 | 27,839 | +25.4% | 0.9% |
| 15 | Canada | 24,197 | 26,612 | +10.0% | 0.9% |
| Total (all nationalities) | 3,662,026 | 2,963,936 | -19.1% | 100% |
Source: Sernatur with PDI data, series published in August 2026 (preliminary figures). Changes and shares calculated by Viajando Chile. The total includes 131,217 Chileans living abroad, whom the official series counts as one more nationality; they are not shown in the country ranking. The series lists England separately from the rest of the United Kingdom.
Without Argentina, arrivals are growing: the other markets add up to 1,799,312 tourists between January and July, 4.0% more than in 2025. It is the same calculation Undersecretary María Paz Lagos made in September, when she explained that the decline is concentrated in the Argentine market, according to The Clinic.
July 2026: the month Brazil overtook Argentina
| # | Country | July 2025 | July 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 141,993 | 152,265 | +7.2% |
| 2 | Argentina | 179,925 | 86,633 | -51.9% |
| 3 | Bolivia | 48,869 | 44,728 | -8.5% |
| 4 | Peru | 32,213 | 33,452 | +3.8% |
| 5 | United States | 12,311 | 11,809 | -4.1% |
| 6 | Colombia | 10,484 | 10,560 | +0.7% |
| 7 | Uruguay | 6,210 | 5,071 | -18.3% |
| 8 | Mexico | 4,901 | 4,684 | -4.4% |
| 9 | Spain | 5,111 | 4,592 | -10.2% |
| 10 | Australia | 1,929 | 4,186 | +117.0% |
| Monthly total | 492,944 | 410,213 | -16.8% |
July is snow season and the month of Brazil's winter school holidays, and Brazilian visitors mostly go to Santiago and the ski resorts. Argentines, on the other hand, travel more in summer and overland. That is why it is worth looking at the year to date, not just one month, before talking about a change of leader.
Tourist arrivals in Chile by continent
| Origin | Jan-Jul 2025 | Jan-Jul 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| South America | 2,986,694 | 2,214,129 | -25.9% |
| Europe | 245,932 | 266,778 | +8.5% |
| North America | 189,771 | 206,967 | +9.1% |
| Asia | 49,010 | 57,949 | +18.2% |
| Oceania | 26,351 | 45,930 | +74.3% |
| Central America | 18,003 | 23,924 | +32.9% |
| Middle East | 11,032 | 11,408 | +3.4% |
| Caribbean | 3,876 | 3,521 | -9.2% |
| Africa | 2,009 | 2,100 | +4.5% |
Every continent except South America and the Caribbean is growing. The most striking case is Oceania: Australia almost doubled its arrivals (+83.5%) and New Zealand rose 37.3%. Among markets with more than 5,000 visitors, Costa Rica (+44.9%), Poland (+31.7%) and China (+25.4%) also stand out.
Foreign tourists in Chile by country in 2025: the full year
| # | Country | 2025 arrivals | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 2,856,441 | 47.6% |
| 2 | Brazil | 681,649 | 11.4% |
| 3 | Bolivia | 562,729 | 9.4% |
| 4 | Peru | 352,353 | 5.9% |
| 5 | United States | 250,460 | 4.2% |
| 6 | Colombia | 149,592 | 2.5% |
| 7 | Spain | 80,821 | 1.3% |
| 8 | Germany | 68,405 | 1.1% |
| 9 | France | 65,691 | 1.1% |
| 10 | Uruguay | 64,981 | 1.1% |
| Total 2025 | 6,004,567 | 100% |
In 2025 Chile passed 6 million arrivals and almost one in two tourists was Argentine. For 2026, the Undersecretariat projects between 5 and 5.2 million, according to the same interview in The Clinic. The analysis of the causes behind the Argentine decline is in our story on foreign tourists in Chile in 2026.
How tourist arrivals are counted
- Source: Sernatur estimates arrivals using information from the PDI's National Migration Department, with a methodology aligned with UN Tourism.
- What it includes: foreign tourists by nationality and estimates of Chileans living abroad. It excludes arrivals through seaports, such as cruise passengers.
- Special estimates: arrivals of Peruvians through Chacalluta and of Argentines through Monte Aymond and San Sebastián are estimated throughout the series.
- Preliminary figures: data from July 2020 to July 2026 may be revised in later editions.
- Lag: the September Tourism Barometer did not yet include August because the source had not delivered it.
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *Foreign tourists in Chile by country in 2026: the monthly arrivals ranking*. Based on Sernatur and PDI data published by Chile's Undersecretariat of Tourism. https://viajandochile.com/en/news/foreign-tourists-in-chile-by-country-2026
Frequently asked questions
Which country sends the most tourists to Chile?
Argentina: 1,164,624 arrivals between January and July 2026, 39.3% of the total. It is followed by Brazil (393,783), Bolivia (276,600) and Peru (209,176).
How many foreign tourists arrived in Chile in 2025?
6,004,567, according to Sernatur's series based on PDI data. Argentina accounted for 2,856,441, or 47.6%.
Which market is growing fastest in 2026?
Among the large ones, Australia: 38,881 arrivals between January and July, 83.5% more than in 2025. By continent, Oceania is up 74.3% and Asia 18.2%.
