There appears to be a growing trend for Americans and Europeans to retire to South America, and Chile is proving a very popular location.
Retirees are attracted by the climate, security, political stability and the culture. In the past five years seven thousand older adults have come to settle in Chile and many foreign retirees look favorably Chile as an alternative residence or, at least, to spend the summer season as a second home.
According to statistics from the Department of Immigration and Migration in the Ministry of Interior, almost 7 thousand people aged 60 and over have settled in the country since 2004, most coming from countries like Peru, Argentina, USA, Spain, Germany and Italy.
Several reasons explain this trend. The pension of retirees from Europe or the U.S goes much farther in Chile than it would in their home countries and therefore allows a better standard of living. This, coupled with mild weather and a quiet political environment with a very low threat of terrorism or war makes Chile a reassuring place to retire to. According to experts, this is a phenomenon that is just starting and will no doubt increase as the political environment in the US and Europe continues to deteriorate.
Of course there are also negative aspects, one, is get accustomed to a new language, and another very important is that we must live away from family. But undoubtedly the positive aspects are winning, as every day, new foreign retirees are choosing to live in Chile.
