– The second Longitudinal Survey of Tarapacá focuses on delivering a regional x-ray to authorities and decision makers, for the visualization and adoption of public policies.
– It was carried out in almost 4 thousand homes and more than 10 thousand people in the seven communes that make up the region.
76% of the population of the Tarapacá Region has completed secondary education. This was revealed by the Second Longitudinal Study of the Tarapacá Region, a joint effort between the Catholic University (Center for Surveys and Longitudinal Studies) and the Doña Inés de Collahuasi Mining Company. This figure compares positively with the 69.2% registered nationwide according to the latest Casen Survey of 2022.
The study was prepared in order to provide the region and its communities with rigorous and representative information that contributes to the adoption and evaluation of public policies in the short, medium and long term, with a greater focus on the particular needs of the area. The sample included 3,751 households and 10,875 people, with representation in the 7 communes of the region. In addition, it focused on variables such as the economy, the labor market, health, migration, poverty and internet access, among others.
The indicator, which was presented by economist David Bravo, Director of the UC Longitudinal Survey and Studies Center, before regional authorities and representatives of the academic world, among others, also showed that the population without completed secondary education fell 25 percentage points in the last 23 years, after going from 47% registered in 2000 (Casen) to 22% last year.
On the other hand, the report confirmed that, in the same period, the population with complete and incomplete higher education went from 20% to 34% and that the proportion of the population with a low educational level (22%) is lower than that of the country as a whole (30%).
During his presentation, David Bravo highlighted the importance of having this type of instruments in light of the multiple regional challenges. “With the two versions of this work we can study different data about Tarapacá and thereby better understand what is happening in the region, because the data has a mission which is to contribute to the development of the region and its communes, setting goals and challenges, convening working groups for a better investment of resources.”
In educational matters, the recovery of students’ in-person attendance after the Coronavirus pandemic also drew attention, even exceeding the levels prior to 2020. Thus, it was found that in 2023, 57% of the pre-school age population attended a nursery or kindergarten, while, in the cases of basic and secondary education, this indicator scored 92% and 82%, respectively.
For his part, Gaetano Manniello, Collahuasi’s Environmental Relations Manager, stated that “the company’s success lies in advancing and contributing to the growth of Tarapacá, which is why there is a need to have objective information of this nature that allows regional governments and authorities make the best decisions and contribute to public and private planning with decentralized information.”
“Today we applaud the growth of the region in educational matters and we are very happy to have contributed through the Collahuasi Foundation, which has under its wing the Bicentenario Minero Juan Pablo II high schools in Alto Hospicio and the Bicentenario Padre Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga high schools in Pica,” he said, adding that currently the Company is steps away from starting the construction of a new school in the town of Chanavayita.
OTHER FINDINGS
The measurement also showed a decrease in labor participation. Thus, it was observed that the occupancy rate was lower than that reported in 2022, going from 61.8% in 2022 to 57.1% in 2023.
When carrying out the analysis by commune, it was found that in 2023 the highest occupation rate was recorded in the mining communes. Thus, the commune of Pica scored 60%. They were followed by Pozo Almonte and Iquique, with 58% and 57%, respectively. The lowest occupancy rates, meanwhile, were recorded in Huara (51%) and Colchane (53%).
On the other hand, the survey showed a higher proportion of salaried employees and a lower proportion of self-employed workers compared to the previous year. In this way, self-employed workers fell from 30.6% in 2022 to 22.7% in 2023, while salaried workers rose from 62.4% to 71.6% in the same period.
Regarding informality, it was detected that the Tarapacá region exhibits levels of informality higher than the country as a whole. However, this indicator decreased in 2023, after going from 37.9% in 2022 to 33.6% in 2023. In this sense, the highest informality rates are found in Colchane (79.4%) and Camiña (76 ,1%).
Another of the relevant data revealed by the study had to do with the average real labor income of households, which reached $986,913 (2023) vs $957,314 in 2022.
On the occasion, the regional governor of Tarapacá, José Miguel Carvajal, indicated that “it is important to have this level of instruments that allows us to collect regional data in a collaborative manner, showing us that there are challenges mainly in terms of housing, health, and education for which we take charge with regional efforts to apply our new regional development strategy.”
For his part, the regional presidential delegate, Daniel Quinteros, expressed that “the study provides good news for the region, there are improvements in the real income of Tarapacan families, also a decrease in some indicators that are of concern, and important challenges are also identified. in terms of housing, labor participation, especially women, and problems that have to do with informality and job creation.”
