Disputes over statistical accuracy in Chile

President José Antonio Kast of Chile is facing scrutiny regarding the accuracy of official statistics used in public discourse.

Initially, a formal complaint was filed with the Contraloría General de la República alleging that the President presented false crime data during a national address. The complaint, filed by lawyer Luis Mariano Rendón, claims Kast cited 218,000 violent robberies for the past year, a figure that contrasts with the 69,777 cases recorded by the Centro de Estudios y Análisis del Delito (CEAD) for 2025. The Comptroller is reviewing the documentation to determine if the use of unverified statistics violates principles of probity.

Following these allegations, political leaders have also disputed Kast’s claims regarding the 2024 Casen Survey poverty statistics. The President questioned the reported decline in poverty levels during the Gabriel Boric administration, suggesting state subsidies may have artificially influenced the results. However, former Minister of the Interior Carolina Tohá and Minister of Social Development Giorgio Jackson defended the survey, asserting that the methodology is based on technical processes conducted by expert panels and various institutions, with Jackson stating the claims of error are “100% incorrect.”