Vitacura


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 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.

Statistics

  • Area:
  • Population: 97,049
  • Autonomous household income per capita: US$86,155
  • Population below poverty line: 4.4%
  • Regional quality of life index: 86.74, ranked 3rd out of 52 communes
  • Human Development Index: 0.949, ranked 1st out of 341 communes

    Administration

As a commune, Vitacura is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by a mayor who is directly elected every four years. The mayor Camila Merino has been in the position since 2021. The communal council has the following members:
  • Catalina Recordon Martín
  • Verónica del Real Cardoen
  • Felipe Morandé Lavín
  • Paula Domínguez Risopatron
  • Carlos Cruz-Coke Carvallo
  • Ignacio Hue Wielandt
  • Catalina Vera Atria
  • Joaquín Jerez Salvo
Vitacura belongs to Electoral District No. 11 together with the communes of Lo Barnechea, Las Condes, La Reina and Peñalolén and to the VII Senatorial District.
It is represented in the Chamber of Deputies of the National Congress for the period 2022-2026 by the following deputies:
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.
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. 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 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.