This is Chile: 74% of Maule residents say living in the region is no longer cheaper

Although it is by a small margin, optimism still prevails in the Maule. The harsh diagnosis of its inhabitants about the region's current situation does not prevent 54% from declaring themselves optimistic about their future. While that future is viewed with pessimism by 41% —a percentage higher than that recorded in other regions—, hope strongly prevails in areas such as the province of Cauquenes, where 7 out of 10 people (71%) declared feeling optimistic about the region's future. Pessimism, meanwhile, aligns with the perception of the present. In economic, social, and political matters, more than half of Maule residents (51%) state that the region is on the wrong path. When asked about specific indicators, the picture is similar: 69% rate the economic situation poorly, as well as wages (79%) and employment (85%). These are some of the findings of the survey conducted by Cadem for Esto es Chile: a project by Cadem, La Tercera, and Inacap to discover and publicize what each region of the country thinks and feels. To fulfill this objective, the survey gathered the perceptions of 920 men and women over 18 years of age, online, from 28 communes in the region, with 75% of the sample applied to the urban population and 25% to the rural population. This was done through non-probabilistic sampling with quotas by age, zone, and socioeconomic level, with data collected between October 14 and 18 of this year. Although negative perceptions of the regional economy are the majority, the picture changes when respondents are asked about the situation of their personal and family economies: in this item, the "good and very good" axis led, with 53%. This critical diagnosis finds support in the areas where the greatest challenges for the region are perceived: with 50%, the challenge of employment leads, a perception that predominates in the 18 to 34 age range (54%). Along the same lines, it is followed by economic growth (36%) and the cost of living (31%). On the other hand, security and drug trafficking —which in other regions is a leading concern— ranks fourth in the Maule, at 27%. Facing employment, and with an overwhelming 92%, Maule residents agree that a university degree does not guarantee a job in the region. And, although in the past a low salary might have been offset by a lower cost of living, the survey reveals that three out of four residents (74%) state that living in the Maule is no longer cheaper than residing in other regions. When asked about the most valued services in the Maule, the greatest satisfaction is found in its tourist sites (62%) and pharmacies (61%). In contrast, the greatest dissatisfaction comes from the state of the streets (60%) and access to housing (52%). In the eyes of its inhabitants, being in the center of the country is seen as an advantage by 59%, because it makes the Maule "a key passageway for connecting Chile." Although, for almost 4 out of 10 (39%), it also makes the region "a pass-through place that the rest of the country does not see." In relation to the other regions, 48% state that the Maule is the same as the others in terms of development. But 35% think it is worse. The remaining 15% maintain that the region is better positioned than the rest, an idea that is more prevalent among men (20%) than women (11%). Halfway recovery62% of the Maule disagrees that the region is prepared to face a catastrophe such as fires or floods. In the end, the region is dominated by the idea that, after its recent critical events, there has only been a partial recovery. Thus, when asked whether the Maule recovered after the 2010 earthquake, 54% of its inhabitants answered "partially"; after the 2017 wildfires, that response rises to 61%, and after the 2023 floods, the figure repeats (61%). That feeling of partial recovery after the earthquake leads in the province of Talca (59%), where the historic center of the regional capital has multiple projects still pending repair. And, after the 2023 floods, the 78% of the province of Cauquenes who point to the same idea stands out. Agriculture and wine: the bastionsOne of the most popular ideas in the survey was that the Maule is Chile's orchard: 83% agreed. However, at the same time, 74% disagreed that the wealth generated in the region returns in concrete benefits to its inhabitants. When asked about the main source of those benefits, agriculture led as the main economic activity with 59% of the mentions, a strong notion in the province of Linares (67%). At some distance, it was followed by the wine industry (36%) and the fruit sector (33%). This order changes when asked about the industry with the best image. The fruit industry led with 67% (ratings between 6 and 7), followed by the wine industry with 60% and agriculture with 58%. The leadership of agriculture is not without nuances. 88% of Maule residents state that the regional economy depends too much on that industry and that diversification is needed, which aligns with the 46% who maintain that their family income depends excessively on harvest seasons. The role of climate change and drought did not go unnoticed either: 88% maintain that they are concretely affecting the economy and daily life. In addition, one fifth (21%) declare that their household has had problems with access to water. Looking to the future, the industry where Maule residents see the greatest potential for regional development was agriculture, at 43%. It is followed by the wine industry (27%) and tourism and hospitality (25%). This figure, in turn, connects with the 94% who stated that there is great tourist potential still undeveloped, especially in the mountains and the sea. When projecting the Maule 10 years ahead, its residents would like it to be a region that is a benchmark in quality of life (35%), an agro-industrial development hub (28%), and, with three ideas tied at 24%: a territory that recovers tranquility and neighborhood life, a recognized tourist destination, and a logistics corridor connecting Chile with Argentina. In that future, infrastructure projects play a central role. Heading the list are the new hospitals of the Red Maule, with 85% relevance, which, located in the communes of Cauquenes, Parral, and Constitución, are already in their final stage of construction. The new Linares Hospital follows with 82%. Then come three connectivity projects: road paving (81%), the renovation of the Talca-Constitución branch line (75%), and the modernization of the Pehuenche Pass (73%).