Who Is Michelle Bachelet? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Born on September 29, 1951, Michelle Bachelet is a distinguished Chilean politician who served as the President of Chile twice, first from 2006 to 2010 and then from 2014 to 2018. As of 2025, she is 73 years old. Bachelet made history as the first female president of Chile and has been a prominent advocate for women's rights and social justice throughout her career.
| Occupation | Physicians |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 29, 1951 |
| Age | 73 Years |
| Birth Place | Santiago, Chile |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country | Chile |
Popularity
Michelle Bachelet's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While precise details about Michelle Bachelet’s height and weight are not commonly highlighted, she is reported to be approximately 5 feet 4 inches (162 cm) tall. Bachelet's focus on health and well-being is well-known, although specifics on her body measurements are not publicly available.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Michelle Bachelet is single and has not publicly disclosed any current relationships. She was previously married to Jorge Pablo Dávalos from 1970 until their divorce in 2000, and they have three children together. Bachelet is quite private about her personal life, focusing more on her political career and social initiatives.
Bachelet, a physician with studies in military strategy, also held positions as Health Minister and Defense Minister under President Ricardo Lagos. She is a separated mother of three and identifies as agnostic. In addition to her native Spanish, she is fluent in English and has proficiency in German, French, and Portuguese.
Net Worth and Salary
Michelle Bachelet's net worth is estimated to be around $3 million as of 2025. A significant portion of her wealth is attributed to her political career, including her terms as president and her previous roles as a United Nations official. Her salary as a former president was considerable, but specific figures have fluctuated throughout her public service.
In March 2006 Bachelet created an advisory committee to reform the pension system, which was headed by former budget director Mario Marcel. The commission issued its final report in July 2006, and in March 2008 Bachelet signed the bill into law.
The new legislation established a Basic Solidarity Pension (PBS) and a Solidarity Pension Contribution (APS), guaranteeing a minimum pension for the 60% poorest segment of the population, regardless of their contribution history. The reform also grants a bonus to female pensioners for every child born alive.
Career, Business, and Investments
Bachelet's career extends beyond her presidency. After her time in office, she served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2023, where she continued her advocacy for human rights globally. Her investments largely reflect her commitment to social and humanitarian causes, rather than traditional financial endeavors.
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (born 29 September 1951 ) is a Chilean politician who served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, becoming the first woman to hold the presidency.
She was re-elected in December 2013 with over 62% of the vote, having previously received 54% in 2006, making her the first President of Chile to be re-elected since 1932. After her second term, she served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022.
Earlier in her career, she was appointed as the first executive director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Social Network
Michelle Bachelet maintains a significant presence on social media platforms, engaging with her followers and advocating for human rights. She is active on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where she shares insights on political matters, social issues, and her ongoing work in advocating for gender equality and social justice.
Critics blamed tax reforms for complexity driving away investment and for the slowdown of the Chilean economy during Bachelet's second period in office. However, Bachelet's supporters argue that falling copper prices were more to blame for the economic slowdown.
They argue that economic forecasts of faster growth in conjunction with rising copper prices and exports from 2018 onwards (after Bachelet's term) suggest that the tax reforms did not negatively affect the economy.
Others, such as MIT-trained economist and academic Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel, have found that Chile's overall terms of trade under Bachelet's second term worsened only marginally compared to those of her predecessor Sebastián Piñera, due in part to a lower cost of key imports like petroleum.
Consequently, he concludes that Bachelet's reforms and governance likely were instrumental in causing a period of dampened growth throughout her presidency.
Education
Bachelet holds a degree in medicine from the University of Chile and later specialized in pediatrics. This educational background reflects her early commitment to health issues, which she carried into her political career. Additionally, she has studied international relations, which has helped her in her roles on both domestic and international stages.
After four years in exile, Bachelet returned to Chile in 1979. Her medical school credits from the GDR were not recognized, so she had to restart her studies where she left off before she fled the country. Despite this setback, she graduated as physician-surgeon on 7 January 1983.
Bachelet wanted to work in the public sector where she could make the most impact, but her request to work as a general practitioner was denied by the military government on "political grounds".