Puerto Montt vs Puerto Varas — Reported Crime Comparison

On the 2024 composite crime index published by CEAD and the Servicio de Prevención y Participación Ciudadana, Puerto Montt scored 24.7, which is 6.2 points higher than Puerto Varas's score of 18.4. Both scores reflect reported incidence across multiple crime categories weighted by population and economic-activity proxies. Puerto Montt holds national rank #99 of 346 communes on this index, while Puerto Varas holds rank #212 of 346. A lower score corresponds to lower reported incidence relative to national peers; a higher score signals comparatively elevated reported activity.

The sharpest per-category difference between the two communes is in public-order incidents. Puerto Montt reports 4,245.1 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants in this category, compared with 2,207.8 for Puerto Varas — a gap of approximately 1.9×. This divergence reflects distinct local characteristics, including population density, urbanisation patterns, and differences in policing and reporting infrastructure. The CEAD breakdown covers seven crime categories (crimes against persons, property crimes, violent robbery, public-order incidents, domestic violence, drug-related offenses, and weapons offenses); this category produces the widest absolute gap between the two communes.

Both Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas show a stable trend in reported incidence according to the CEAD multi-year series. When two communes share the same trend direction, the gap between them may be widening or narrowing depending on the speed of change in each. The full annual series for each commune is available on its individual data page, where the year-by-year progression can be inspected.

Nationally, Puerto Montt holds rank #9 of 346 communes (rank 1 = highest reported incidence), placing it in the highest-incidence decile. Puerto Varas holds rank #99 of 346, placing it in the middle tier. The two communes are separated by 90 national rank positions on the CEAD incidence scale. National ranks are derived from the most recent complete annual data and are recalculated whenever the data pipeline runs.

Both communes belong to the Los Lagos region, which contains 30 communes in total. Within the region, Puerto Montt holds regional rank #3 and Puerto Varas holds regional rank #16 (rank 1 = highest reported incidence within the region). Regional comparisons account for shared socioeconomic conditions, urban-density patterns, and local reporting infrastructure that influence measured incidence levels across communes in the same administrative area. Comparing two communes within the same region provides a geographically relevant benchmark beyond what the national rank alone can offer.

All figures cited above are drawn from CEAD (Centro de Estudios y Análisis del Delito), the official Chilean body responsible for compiling police-reported crime statistics, and from the Servicio de Prevención y Participación Ciudadana (SPD) homicide database. Data represent reported incidents only; actual incidence may differ due to under-reporting, which varies by crime type and territory. The comparison uses the most recent complete annual data available for Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas at the time of publication (reference year: 2025). For methodology details including the composite index formula, winsorisation method, and rate-per-100,000-inhabitants definition, see the methodology page.