This article aims to demonstrate the level of penetration and development of the so-called “empirical legal research” in Chile by reviewing and systematizing the scientific production in the 11 main legal journals in our country. This reveals that no more than 13% of the articles published in the last five years can be classified within this subdiscipline. Within this total, a significant portion also comes from foreign jurists or references to other national systems (Latin American and Spanish), and only 108 articles out of a total of 1,412 published documents can be considered as national empirical legal scientific production. The level of development varies among different areas of law, with research associated with criminology and criminal justice system showing a more developed ecosystem. The article also includes a theoretical and conceptual reflection on legal science in order to properly delimit the scope of the work.