As 2026 begins, several benefits will take effect in Chile, including a higher minimum wage and increased pensions to support workers and retirees. These measures aim to ease financial burdens for millions amid economic shifts.
On January 1, 2026, Chile's minimum wage rose from $529,000 to $539,000, benefiting nearly 900,000 workers aged 18 to 65. This includes the Minimum Wage Subsidy for SMEs, a monthly contribution to help small and medium enterprises meet the new base salary.
Since 2022, the minimum wage has increased eight times, starting from $350,000. Additionally, the workweek will reduce to 42 hours starting April 26, 2026.
For pensions, over 1.3 million retirees will receive automatic increases. The Benefit for Years Contributed provides an extra 0.1 UF per year contributed, capped at 2.5 UF monthly; women need at least 120 months (10 years) contributed, and men 240 months (20 years). The Compensation for Life Expectancy Differences supplements women's pensions by comparing their situation to that of a man of the same age, family group, and savings balance, to address inequalities due to longer life expectancy.
Both benefits are added directly to existing pensions, requiring no additional procedures.
In energy, electricity bills will see a national average reduction of 2.02% in the first semester of 2026, per the National Energy Commission (CNE). This drop results from refunding amounts overestimated due to inflation effects in billing; otherwise, there would have been a 1.33% increase.
