Ground-based infrared solar spectra at 0.02 cm-1 resolution obtained at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station in December 1986 have been analysed for the atmospheric content of HCl. Nonlinear least-squares spectral fitting applied to the spectra yields a total HCl column amount of (6.4¿0.8)¿1015 molec/cm2, most being stratospheric. This amount is larger than that extrapolated from earlier results on the latitudinal distribution of atmospheric HCl. ¿American Geophysical Union 1987