thumb|Lake and buildings in [[Parque Bicentenario|Bicentenario Park.]]

thumb|City hall

Vitacura is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of Santiago. Inhabitants are primarily high income families. It belongs to the Northeastern zone of Santiago de Chile.

There is an abundance of elite private schools in Vitacura and Las Condes, including Saint George's College, Colegio Santa Úrsula, Alliance Francaise, Colegio La Maisonette, Colegio Tabancura, Colegio Los Andes, Colegio Sagrados Corazones de Manquehue and Colegio San Benito.

The Costanera Norte tollway connects Vitacura with the international airport and subway stations are located in the neighboring municipality of Las Condes.

Vitacura is the site of ECLAC headquarters, home to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) headquarters in Chile, and home to Santiago's most exclusive shopping street, Avenida Alonso de Córdova.

Demographics

According to the 2017 census conducted by the National Statistics Institute, Vitacura covers an area of and had a population of 85,384 inhabitants, comprising 38,402 men and 46,982 women. The commune is entirely urban. Between the 2002 and 2017 censuses, the population increased by 4.77 percent, representing an absolute growth of 3,885 residents.

  • Population: 97,049 (2024 population projection)
  • Population below poverty line: 4.4% <small>(±2.5%)</small> (2006)

Administration

As a commune, Vitacura is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by a mayor (alcalde, in Spanish) who is directly elected every four years. The mayor Camila Merino (Evópoli) has been in the position since 2021. the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Chile (UNHCR Chile), the South America regional office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Chile, the Latin America and the Caribbean regional office of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO-RLC), the International Labour Organization Southern Cone Office, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Programme in Chile (UNDP Chile), UN Women Chile, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU Chile), the World Food Programme (WFP Chile), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Chile), and the national office of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD Chile).

In addition, the International District of Vitacura (IDV) is home to the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO Chile), while the national headquarters of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean is currently under development. The complex will also host the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center for Latin America and the Caribbean, jointly administered with the Municipality of Vitacura.

International trade and investment

In the field of international trade and investment, the main actors located in Vitacura include the Chilean-Chinese Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (CHICIT), the Chile-India Chamber of Commerce (CAMINDIA), and the Chilean-Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce.

Internationalization in higher education

In the field of international relations and higher education, the main institutions located in Vitacura include the Chilean office of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Chile) and the International Relations Directorate of INACAP.

Vitacura is also home to Chilean representations of foreign universities, including the regional office of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) of Harvard University, Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), and the Santiago Global Center of Columbia University.

Embassies

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Shopping

This commune is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of Santiago and boutiques of many of the world's leading luxury retailers are located in Vitacura. These stores include Louis Vuitton, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Swarovski, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Brooks Brothers, Hermès, MaxMara, Bang & Olufsen, and Hugo Boss, as well as many others.

Health

Vitacura has access to a comprehensive healthcare network composed of public, private, and university-affiliated medical facilities, reflecting the commune's socioeconomic profile and its integration within the eastern sector of Greater Santiago's healthcare system.

Primary public healthcare services are provided through municipal health centers, while secondary and tertiary public care is generally accessed through hospitals located in neighboring communes operating under Chile's national public health system (FONASA).

Vitacura is also home to major private healthcare providers. Among the most prominent is Clínica Alemana de Santiago, one of Chile's largest private hospitals, which provides tertiary-level medical services, emergency care, advanced diagnostic services, and specialized treatments. The clinic serves residents of Vitacura as well as the wider Santiago metropolitan area.

Private healthcare services in the commune are commonly accessed through Chile's private health insurance system (ISAPREs). In addition, Vitacura hosts numerous specialized medical centers, outpatient clinics, and wellness facilities focused on preventive medicine, rehabilitation, and elderly care, contributing to health outcomes and quality-of-life indicators that are above national averages.

Education

Vitacura hosts several international educational institutions serving both local and expatriate communities.

The main campus of the Lycée Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry de Santiago, a French international school, is located in Vitacura.

The Deutsche Schule Santiago (German School of Santiago) operates its Vitacura campus for primary education, enrolling students from first through sixth grade. The institution also maintains additional campuses in Las Condes and Cerro Colorado for other educational levels.

Chartwell International School, a preschool and primary-level institution, is located in the Lo Curro sector of Vitacura.

References

  • Municipality of Vitacura