Chile childhood budget allocations see 45% decrease

A report by the Defensoría de la Niñez and UNICEF Chile reveals that 45.7% of budget allocations specifically targeting children and adolescents decreased during the first half of 2026. The study analyzed 188 direct allocations for programs, services, or institutions related to minors.

Out of these 188 allocations, 86 saw a reduction, 90 remained unchanged, and only 12 increased. Notably, 54 of these allocations experienced cuts exceeding 3%. This trend occurs within the context of a 2026 fiscal adjustment that mandated a 3% transversal reduction across state administration budgets.

While the aggregate decrease for the analyzed resources was only 0.1% ($12,438 million), this figure was heavily influenced by a $71,216 million increase in the Local Public Education Services (SLEP). When excluding that specific variation, the remaining programs and institutions showed a decrease of $83,654 million, or 0.8% compared to the initial approval.