Puerto Montt vs Puqueldón — 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 18.7 points higher than Puqueldón's score of 6. 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 Puqueldón holds rank #343 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 property crimes. Puerto Montt reports 1,921.7 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants in this category, compared with 406.3 for Puqueldón — a gap of approximately 4.7×. 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.

Looking at the CEAD multi-year series, Puerto Montt shows a stable trend in reported incidence while Puqueldón shows a rising trend. This divergence in trajectory means the current rate gap may evolve over time — a stable trend in Puerto Montt combined with a rising trend in Puqueldón could change their relative positions in future reporting periods. Year-on-year fluctuations are normal and can reflect changes in recording practices or population estimates rather than underlying behavioral shifts.

Nationally, Puerto Montt holds rank #9 of 346 communes (rank 1 = highest reported incidence), placing it in the highest-incidence decile. Puqueldón holds rank #null of 346, placing it in the highest-incidence decile. The two communes are separated by 9 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 Puqueldón holds regional rank #30 (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 Puqueldón 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.