After several days of intensive negotiations, the 2026 Budget Bill was approved by the National Congress three days ahead of the statutory deadline and is now ready for promulgation.

In its final stage, the bill was reviewed by a joint committee composed of five members of the Chamber of Deputies and five senators, which resolved 14 discrepancies between the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.

The committee’s report was subsequently ratified by the Chamber of Deputies with 66 votes in favor and 35 against; however, there was insufficient quorum to approve Budget Notes 03 and 04 of the Public Treasury, which would have allowed Regional Governments to transfer resources to state-owned enterprises. The Senate then approved the bill with 27 votes in favor and one against. Earlier in the week, 29 of 33 budget chapters of the fiscal accounts had already been cleared by Congress.

The 2026 Budget totals CLP $86.2 trillion , representing 1.7% growth over the budget law approved for 2025. As the fourth and final budget submitted by President Gabriel Boric Font’s administration, it reaffirms Chile’s commitment to fiscal discipline and social priorities, with strong emphasis on health, pensions, and housing, alongside continued expansion in public security.

Finance Minister Nicolás Grau Veloso stated: “The approval of this Budget is good news for Chile. It is a Budget firmly grounded in social commitment and fiscal discipline. The bill that has now passed—built through broad cross-party agreement—is better than the original version, as congressional work allowed for increases in health, security, housing, and education without raising total expenditure above the Executive’s initial proposal. Thanks to this collective effort, and the generosity of many lawmakers from both government and opposition, we can strengthen public, social and economic security for families throughout Chile.”

Budget Director Javiera Martínez Fariña noted: “We submitted a Budget that is both socially oriented and fiscally responsible, and as is customary, it was further enhanced throughout its congressional review. As part of this commitment to fiscal discipline, the joint committee approved a provision that safeguards compliance with fiscal policy, aligned with the efforts undertaken by this administration. To prepare this 2026 Budget, we reassigned US$2.8 billion —equivalent to 0.8% of GDP—to fund citizens’ priorities. This included over US$150 million cut  from underperforming programs, ensuring that public funds are directed toward the most urgent needs of families. We thank Congress for supporting this administration’s final Budget, which maintains the responsible spending framework proposed by the Executive.”

Undersecretary of Finance Heidi Berner added: “We conclude the legislative review of President Boric’s final Budget Bill with the satisfaction of having reached agreements around a proposal that is responsible with fiscal accounts and centered on citizens’ well-being. The final outcome is a strengthened version, the result of democratic dialogue within our institutional framework. We thank senators and deputies for their ongoing willingness to reach agreements over these four years, during which institutional frameworks have been strengthened with new transparency and public spending efficiency rules—such as those governing transfers to non-profit organizations.”

Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency Macarena Lobos Palacios stated: “As a Government team, we are very pleased to deliver the 2026 Budget on time and in due form. It was a complex legislative process in the middle of an electoral cycle, but we value that all sides stepped out of their trenches and ultimately put citizens’ needs first. We have built a Budget that is stronger in both pillars: fiscal responsibility and social responsibility, with more than 60% of total spending directed toward social priorities such as education, health, employment and housing.”

Agreements in the Joint Committee

The Executive submitted 23 amendments to resolve differences between House and Senate versions; all were approved, most unanimously.

The Ministry of Public Security received an additional CLP $ 5 billion , allocated as CLP 4.5 billion  for the Investigative Police (PDI) and CLP $500 million   for Carabineros de Chile.

The National Congress budget was reinstated as approved by the Senate, consistent with the Executive’s proposal. This includes remuneration and allowances for former Presidents of the Republic.

Within the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, funding was reinstated for the Cultural Pass and four memory sites forwarded to the committee; however, reductions were made to finance housing subsidies, the reinstatement of TIC Scholarships, and the increase in security spending. No agreement was reached to consider funding for the Salvador Allende Foundation, so it will receive no appropriations in 2026.

The National Youth Institute (Injuv) was approved, including a budget note requiring the Ministry of Social Development and Family, together with the Budget Directorate (Dipres), to propose by June an institutional redesign to prevent overlap with other public services. The report must incorporate feedback from Injuv employees. The Gender Identity Support Program (PAIG) was not reviewed and will therefore not receive funding in next year’s Budget.

Additional allocations include CLP 100 million  for the Chilean Guides and Scouts Association and CLP 300 million  for the Deportistas por un Sueño Foundation.

A new final paragraph was added to Article 55, requiring public institutions to submit quarterly reports to Dipres, the Office of the Comptroller General, and the Health Committees of both chambers on the improper use of medical leave, aligned with the administration’s efforts to address absenteeism in the public sector.

Article 51 was updated to authorize Dipres—following the publication of the Fourth Quarter 2025 Public Finance Report (IFP) and the review of revenue performance and other macroeconomic variables—to issue instructions ensuring compliance with fiscal policy.

Key Figures of the 2026 Budget

• 5.7% increase in health spending from 2025 to 2026 (over US$900 million). Health spending will have grown over 30% during this administration.
• Largest investment in the Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) since their creation will occur in 2026.
• Funding for over 115,000 surgeries to reduce the national waiting list.
• Pension spending will have increased 55% during this administration.
• Housing spending will have increased over 37%, enabling more than 260,000 homes. Year-over-year increase: 7.6%.
• Spending on the Local Support and Care Network will have increased 300% during this administration, with 100 Community Care Centers operating in 2026.
• Public security and order spending will have increased 16.8% during this administration.
• Funding for training 3,700 Carabineros, 700 detectives, and 250 additional PDI officers.
• Renewal of 1,000 police vehicles for Carabineros and 130 for the PDI.
• Commissioning of the La Laguna Penitentiary Facility in Talca and continued reopening of new women’s penitentiaries in Antofagasta and La Unión.
• Implementation of 24/7 operations at border checkpoints in Integración Austral, San Sebastián, and Cardenal Samoré.
• Nearly CLP $580 billion invested in Sustainable Productive Development from 2023–2026.
• Mining royalty revenues will distribute CLP $227 billion to regional governments and CLP 226 billion to municipalities.
• The Ministry of Public Works budget will have increased 33% between 2022 and 2026.