Abstract

This study has two aims: first, to construct dimensions through geo-coded social and demographical indicators that represent deprivation conditions at the level of small areas (census blocks) in the Temuco-Padre Las Casas conurbation in Chile. Second, to estimate a multiple deprivation index based on the analysis of the deprivation profiles of each city. Social, crime and demographical indicators were used to construct dimensions. Six dimensions were formed: demographic, Mapuche (indigenous) population, education, green areas access, housing, and crime. The weights of the dimensions were estimated based on Latent Profile Analysis, which showed that both communes have dissimilar deprivation profiles despite being so close and with similar evolutions over time. The education and Mapuche population dimensions, in particular, stand out in the differentiation of the profiles. The geographical characterisation of deprived areas makes it possible to identify areas of residential and social segregation. However, knowledge of the dimensions involved in the process of deprivation in small areas makes it possible to focus and prioritise specific interventions for improvement. The estimation of a multiple deprivation index showed that deprivation profiles vary according to the characteristics of the territory and cannot be studied and evaluated in a standardised way. Temuco has significant social inequality and spatial segregation, and Padre Las Casas has a greater homogeneity of social environments, but it is a homogeneously more deprived municipality. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.