Economic growth and improvement in living conditions in Chile

This research project has a dual purpose. In the first place, to analyse the evolution of economic growth that Chile has experienced over the last two decades in terms of an improvement of its most commonlyused economical indicator (GDP per capita) and social indicators such as illiteracy and the reduction of poverty. Secondly, to examine, in this context, the evolution of the hope for life expectancy in Chile. After a descriptive analysis, the author observes that the correlation quotient between the GDP per capita and illiteracy variables and the variable of hope for life expectancy is more positive and closer to one, which indicates that an increase of those variables would result in a rise in the hope for life expectancy. On the contrary, the association between the variables of poverty and hope for life expectancy is negative. This would indicate that an increase in poverty would bring a lower hope for life expectancy. This enables us to conclude that in general terms, the improvement of economical and social indicators, together with efficient social policies, has been accompanied by a decrease in poverty, a drop in illiteracy and an improvement of living conditions among the population. 

Keywords: Chile, GDP per capita, economic growth, poverty, illiteracy, life expectancy