Ask which Latin American economy is currently outperforming its neighbors, and six unrelated international measurements keep landing on the same name. Over roughly the past year, separate assessments of competitiveness, human development, household wealth, innovation, artificial-intelligence adoption and now a brand-new prosperity index have each placed Chile at or near the top of the region. Researchers behind these studies keep pointing to the same underlying driver, and it isn't copper, lithium or the size of the economy. It's something quieter: institutions and regulations that hold their shape no matter who wins the next election.
