Why did the mestizo population grow rapidly in colonial Chile?

The rapid growth of the mestizo population in colonial Chile was a significant social development that began after 1600, ultimately shaping the country's homogeneous ethnic character.12

This demographic shift was driven by the process of miscegenation between the Spanish conquistadors and various Indigenous groups, such as the Picunche and Huilliche, who were assimilated into the rural population during the 16th and 17th centuries. Because Chile lacked significant mineral wealth, it did not develop a large-scale plantation economy, which resulted in a relatively small number of enslaved African people compared to other regions. Consequently, the colonial society relied heavily on the integration of Indigenous peoples into the labor force and broader social structure.3412

By the end of the colonial period, mestizos constituted the majority of the population, numbering approximately 300,000 out of an estimated 500,000 people. This growth occurred within a highly structured society where mestizos occupied a social tier below the peninsulares and Creoles but above the Indigenous and enslaved populations.12