The Central Bank of Chile said the economy declined 1 percent in August 2026 from August 2025, according to its IMACEC index, the country's main indicator of economic activity.
The decline mainly reflects a 17.4 percent drop in mining activities, particularly copper, a sector that accounts for a significant share of the country's economy. According to the Central Bank, excluding mining, the IMACEC index would have increased 1.4 percent year over year.
On an annual basis, goods production fell 4.9 percent, while manufacturing rose 0.3 percent, trade activities rose 2.2 percent and services rose 0.8 percent.
On a month-over-month basis, the IMACEC index declined 0.7 percent in August from July.
On the same basis, goods production declined 2.9 percent, mining activities fell 10.7 percent, manufacturing rose 1.4 percent, trade activities rose 0.4 percent and services rose 0.6 percent.
The monthly IMACEC economic activity index tracks changes in Chile's gross domestic product (GDP). It is released on the first business day of each month, with a lag of about 31 days.
