Demographics of Cuba

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Demographics of Cuba
Cuba single age population pyramid 2020.png
Cuba population pyramid (2020)
Population11 089 511 (2022)
Density261.3 hab./sq mi
100.9 hab./sq km (2022)
Growth rate0.79% (2002-2022)
Birth rate16.0/1,000 inhabitants (2023 est.)
Death rate9.2 deaths/1,000 inhabitants (2023 est.)
Life expectancy78.0 years (2013 est.)
  male75.8 years (2013 est.)
  female80.4 years (2013 est.)
Fertility rate1.45 children/women (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate4.76 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)
Age structure
0–14 years15.74% (2021 est.)
15–64 years68.53% (2021 est.)
65 and over15.73% (2021 est.)
Sex ratio
Total0.99 (2013 est.)
At birth1.06 (2013 est.)
Under 151.06 (2013 est.)
15–64 years1.01 (2013 est.)
65 and over0.82 (2013 est.)
Nationality
Nationality Cuban
Major ethnic
Minor ethnic Multiracial (26.6%)
African (9.6%)
Language
Official Spanish
Spoken Lucumí

The demographic characteristics of Cuba are known through census which have been conducted and analyzed by different bureaus since 1774. The National Office of Statistics of Cuba (ONE) since 1953. The most recent census was conducted in September 2012. The population of Cuba at the 2012 census was nearly 11.2 million. The population density is 101 inhabitants per square kilometer, and the overall life expectancy in Cuba is 78.0 years. The population has always increased from one census to the next in the 20th century, with the exception of the 2012 census, when the count decreased by 10,000. Since 1740, Cuba's birth rate has surpassed its death rate; the natural growth rate of the country is positive. Cuba is in the fourth stage of demographic transition. In terms of age structure, the population is dominated (71.1%) by the 15- to 64-year-old segment. The median age of the population is 39.5, making it the oldest in the Americas, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.99 males per female.

Contents

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19585,829,029    
19656,506,198+11.6%
19829,729,896+49.5%
199410,783,748+10.8%
200511,067,743+2.6%
202211,089,511+0.2%
Source: [2]

According to the 2002 census, Cuba's population was 11,177,743, whereas the 2012 census numbered the population at 11,167,325. [3] There was a drop between the 2002 and 2012 censuses which was the first drop in Cuba's population since Cuba's war of independence. This drop was due to low fertility and emigration, as during this time (fiscal years 2003 to 2012), 42,028 Cubans received legal permanent residence in the United States. [4] Consequently, Cuba is also the oldest country in the Americas in terms of median age, [5] due to a high amount of emigration by younger Cubans to the U.S. [6] In the last few years before the end of the wet feet, dry feet policy on January 12, 2017, the number of Cubans moving to the United States significantly outnumbered the natural increase during those years.

Population by subdivisions

Population and Area by region
ProvinceArea (km²)Area (%)PopulationPopulation (%)Density
Cuba total 108,889.0210011,117,873100101.72
Pinar del Río 10,904.59.921,078,8986.5066.63
Havana 8,475.575.222,163,8246.36124.06
Santiago de Cuba 1,023.80.661,337,33919.7077.6
Holguin 9,293.69.441,021,5916.0056.80

Vital statistics

Average population [7] [8] Live birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1000)Crude death rate (per 1000)Natural change (per 1000)Crude migration change (per 1000)Total fertility rateInfant mortality rate
1948157,36440,190117,174
1949160,62840,538120,090
19505,920,000163,12239,190123,93227.96.721.2
19516,051,000142,69340,939101,75423.96.917.04.9
19526,180,000143,75037,221106,52923.66.117.53.7
1953 6,305,000150,00037,161112,83924.26.018.22.0
19546,424,000160,00035,712124,28825.45.719.7-0.8
19556,539,000170,00037,264132,73626.55.820.7-2.8
19566,652,000170,60742,811127,79627.65.622.0-2.3
19576,765,000170,94646,857124,08928.46.122.3-1.7
19586,881,000176,51049,093127,41729.76.323.4-1.7
19597,005,000191,20750,865140,34229.86.423.4-2.4
19607,141,000211,62042,670168,95030.86.224.6-4.7
19617,290,000231,81146,066185,74532.96.426.5-5.1
19627,450,000249,11350,621198,49235.97.128.8-5.3
19637,618,000260,22449,188211,03634.66.727.9-5.8
19647,787,000266,55447,996218,55834.86.328.5-6.5
19657,952,000263,97550,027213,94834.06.527.6-6.3
19668,110,000255,41350,846204,56732.36.425.9-5.9
19678,264,000255,31151,030204,28131.76.325.3-6.2
19688,413,000246,80753,920192,88730.16.623.5-5.3
19698,563,000238,09555,654182,44128.56.721.8-3.9
19708,715,000237,01953,761183,25827.86.321.5-3.738.7
19718,870,000256,01454,109201,90529.56.223.2-5.436.1
19729,025,000247,99748,534199,46328.05.522.5-5.028.7
19739,176,000226,00551,238174,76725.15.719.4-2.629.6
19749,315,000203,06651,724151,34222.15.616.5-1.329.3
19759,438,000192,94150,961142,95820.75.515.4-.2.127.5
19769,544,000187,55553,080134,47519.95.614.3-3.023.3
19779,634,000168,96056,084112,87617.85.911.9-2.424.9
19789,710,000148,24955,10093,14915.55.89.7-1.822.4
19799,776,000143,55154,83888,71314.95.79.2-2.319.4
19809,835,000136,90055,70781,19314.15.78.4-2.319.6
19819,886,000136,21157,94178,39713.95.98.0-2.818.5
19829,931,000159,75956,224103,27416.25.710.5-5.917.3
19839,975,000165,28458,348106,93816.65.910.8-6.316.8
198410,029,000166,28159,801106,38616.66.010.6-5.315.0
198510,097,000182,06764,415117,63718.06.411.6-4.916.5
198610,184,000166,04963,145102,90416.36.210.1-1.613.6
198710,286,000179,47765,079114,39817.46.311.1-1.213.3
198810,396,000187,91167,944119,96718.06.511.5-1.011.9
198910,504,000184,89167,356117,53517.66.411.2-0.911.1
199010,662,000186,65872,144114,51417.66.810.84.110.7
199110,756,000173,89671,709102,18716.36.79.6-0.810.7
199210,829,000157,34975,45781,89214.67.07.6-0.810.2
199310,895,000152,22678,53173,69514.17.36.8-0.79.4
199410,912,000147,26578,64868,61713.57.26.3-4.79.9
199510,947,000147,17077,93769,23313.57.16.3-3.19.4
199610,983,000148,27679,66268,61413.57.36.2-3.07.9
199711,033,000152,68177,31675,36513.87.06.8-2.37.2
199811,076,000151,08077,56573,51513.77.06.6-2.87.1
199911,113,000150,87179,49971,37213.67.26.4-3.16.5
200011,146,000143,52876,46367,06512.96.96.0-3.17.2
200111,168,000138,71879,39559,32312.47.15.3-3.36.2
200211,200,000141,27673,88267,39412.66.66.0-3.26.5
200311,215,000136,79578,43458,36112.27.05.2-3.96.3
200411,217,000127,19281,11046,08211.37.24.1-3.95.8
200511,218,000120,71684,82435,89210.77.53.2-3.16.2
200611,202,000111,32380,83130,4929.97.22.7-4.15.3
200711,188,000112,47281,92730,54510.07.22.7-4.05.3
200811,173,000122,56986,42336,14610.97.73.2-4.61.604.7
200911,174,000130,03686,94343,09311.67.73.8-3.81.704.8
201011,167,934127,74691,06536,68111.48.13.3-3.81.694.5
201111,175,423133,06787,04446,02311.87.74.1-3.51.774.9
201211,173,151125,67489,37236,30211.38.03.3-3.51.694.6
201311,210,064125,88092,27333,60711.28.32.90.31.714.2
201411,238,317122,64396,33026,31310.98.62.30.21.684.2
201511,239,004125,06499,69325,37111.18.92.2-2.21.724.3
201611,239,224116,87299,39917,47310.48.81.6-1.51.634.3
201711,221,060114,971106,9418,03010.29.50.7-1.71.614.0
201811,209,628116,333106,20110,13210.49.50.9-1.91.654.0
201911,193,470109,716109,0806369.89.70.1-1.51.575.0
202011,181,595105,038112,439-7,4019.410.1-0.7-0.41.524.9
202111,113,21599,096167,645-68,5498.915.0-6.101.457.5
202211,089,51195,403120,098-24,6958.610.8-2.20.11.417.5
202390,3747.1

Structure of the population

Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 2012) [9]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total5 570 8255 596 50011 167 325100
0-4321 422303 770625 1925.60
5-9305 672288 427594 0995.32
10-14362 252341 019703 2716.30
15-19363 986340 140704 1266.31
20-24426 956399 702826 6587.40
25-29388 961366 768755 7296.77
30-34318 339305 141623 4805.58
35-39421 389417 242838 6317.51
40-44504 738510 2841 015 0229.09
45-49511 501529 7121 041 2139.32
50-54378 808395 691774 4996.94
55-59302 073321 940624 0135.59
60-64274 261290 374564 6355.06
65-69230 423250 494480 9174.31
70-74182 623198 274380 8973.41
75-79123 987140 936264 9232.37
80-8482 06797 603179 6701.61
85+71 36798 983170 3501.53
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0-14989 346933 2161 922 56217.22
15-643 891 0123 876 9947 768 00669.56
65+690 467786 2901 476 75713.22
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2013): [10]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total5 580 8105 610 79811 191 608100
0-4321 478303 526625 0045.58
5-9301 959284 488586 4475.24
10-14359 531338 675698 2066.24
15-19363 489340 163703 6526.29
20-24422 593395 300817 8937.31
25-29395 116372 190767 3056.86
30-34323 405309 400632 8055.65
35-39404 654400 360805 0147.19
40-44504 560508 9921 013 5519.06
45-49510 718528 4871 039 2049.29
50-54397 073414 802811 8757.25
55-59300 439320 991621 4305.55
60-64278 891296 070574 9615.14
65-69233 904255 751489 6544.38
70-74185 892202 686388 5783.47
75-79125 408143 251268 6592.40
80-8481 99798 823180 8191.62
85+69 70796 849166 5561.49
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0-14982 968926 6891 909 65717.06
15-643 900 9343 886 7497 787 68369.59
65+696 908797 3601 494 26813.35
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2021) (Provisional): [11]
Age GroupMaleFemaleTotal%
Total5 533 5795 613 82511 147 405100
0–4284 758265 909550 6674.94
5–9317 987297 439615 4275.52
10–14302 634285 574588 2085.28
15–19321 819304 354626 1735.62
20–24358 731338 129696 8606.25
25–29366 550343 788710 3386.37
30–34408 870386 649795 5197.14
35–39353 346340 870694 2166.23
40–44322 242316 024638 2665.73
45–49450 573454 723905 2968.12
50–54480 598498 770979 3688.79
55–59462 561492 306954 8678.57
60–64304 748333 958638 7065.73
65-69256 611287 734544 3454.88
70-74210 979243 047454 0264.07
75-79153 365186 785340 1513.05
80-8497 694124 981222 6752.00
85-8948 69666 613115 3091.03
90-9420 23530 80751 0420.46
95-997 09210 62817 7210.16
100+3 4874 7318 2180.07
Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent
0–14905 379848 9221 754 30115.74
15–643 830 0413 809 5777 639 61868.53
65+798 159955 3261 753 48515.73

Racial groups

Racecensus 1774 [12] census 1792census 1817census 1827census 1841census 1861census 1877census 1887census 1899census 1907
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
White Cubans 96,44056.2133,55348.8238,91043.2311,05144.2418,29141.5793,48458.1981,03965.01,102,88968.51,052,39766.91,428,17669.7
Afro-Cubans 50,24929.394,38034.4221,76640.1393,43655.8490,30548.7537,91439.4481,13631.9482,17630.0234,73814.9274,27213.4
Mestizo 24,93114.546,04616.892,35716.799,0289.8270,80517.2334,69516.3
Asian 34,8342.547,1163.124,0101.514,8571.011,8370.6
Total171,620273,979553,033704,4871,007,6241,366,2321,509,2911,609,0751,572,7972,048,980
Racecensus 1919census 1931census 1943census 1953census 1981census 2002census 2012
Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%
White Cubans 2,088,04772.22,856,95672.13,553,31274.34,243,95672.86,415,46866.07,271,92665.067,160,39964.12
Mestizo 461,69416.0641,33716.2743,11315.6843,10512.42,125,41821.92,658,67524.862,972,88226.62
Afro-Cubans 323,11711.2437,76911.0463,2279.7725,31114.51,168,69512.01,126,89410.081,034,0449.26
Asian 16,1460.626,2820.718,9310.416,6570.314,0240.1112,2681.02
Total2,889,0043,962,3444,778,5835,829,0299,723,60511,177,74311,167,325
Year White Multiracial (Mulatos/Mestizos) Black
2002 [9] 65.06%24.86%10.08%
2012 [9] 64.12%26.62%9.26%
Age groupCuba 100% (percent of the population)White 64,12% (percent in the race/percent in the age group)Black 9,26% (percent in the race/percent in the age group)Mulatto/Mestizo 26,62% (percent in the race/percent in the age group)
Population11 167 3257 160 3991 034 0442 972 882
0131 419 (1,18%)91 432 (1,28%/69,57%)5 368 (0,52%/4,08%)34 619 (1,16%/26,34%)
0-4625 192 (5,60%)412 604 (5,76%/66,00%)31 828 (3,08%/5,09%)180 760 (6,08%/28,91%)
5-9594 099 (5,32%)372 304 (5,20%/62,67%)38 481 (3,72%/6,48%)183 314 (6,17%/30,86%)
10-14703 271 (6,30%)439 406 (6,14%/62,48%)52 121 (5,04%/7,41%)211 744 (7,12%/30,11%)
15-19704 126 (6,31%)434 944 (6,07%/61,77%)57 638 (5,57%/8,19%)211 544 (7,12%/30,04%)
20-24826 658 (7,40%)511 488 (7,14%/61,87%)71 570 (6,92%/8,66%)243 600 (8,19%/29,47%)
25-29755 729 (6,77%)463 004 (6,47%/61,27%)69 282 (6,70%/9,17%)223 443 (7,52%/29,57%)
30-34623 480 (5,58%)380 742 (5,32%/61,07%)61 368 (5,93%/9,84%)181 370 (6,10%/29,09%)
35-39838 631 (7,51%)520 668 (7,27%/62,09%)82 640 (7,99%/9,85%)235 323 (7,92%/28,06%)
40-441 015 022 (9,09%)635 473 (8,87%/62,61%)103 827 (10,04%/10,23%)275 722 (9,27%/27,16%)
45-491 041 213 (9,32%)662 297 (9,25%/63,61%)111 934 (10,82%/10,75%)266 982 (8,98%/25,64%)
50-54774 499 (6,94%)492 046 (6,87%/63,53%)85 145 (8,23%/10,99%)197 308 (6,64%/25,48%)
55-59624 013 (5,59%)401 361 (5,61%/64,32%)68 511 (6,63%/10,98%)154 141 (5,18%/24,70%)
60-64564 635 (5,06%)383 286 (5,35%/67,88%)58 247 (5,63%/10,32%)123 102 (4,14%/21,80%)
65-69480 917 (4,31%)335 144 (4,68%/69,69%)46 826 (4,53%/9,74%)98 947 (3,33%/20,57%)
70-74380 897 (3,41%)269 331 (3,76%/70,71%)36 701 (3,55%/9,64%)74 865 (2,52%/19,65%)
75-79264 923 (2,37%)188 653 (2,63%/71,21%)25 867 (2,50%/9,76%)50 403 (1,70%/19,03%)
80-84179 670 (1,61%)131 158 (1,83%/73,00%)17 011 (1,65%/9,47%)31 501 (1,06%/17,53%)
85+170 350 (1,53%)126 490 (1,77%/74,25%)15 047 (1,46%/8,83%)28 813 (0,97%/16,91%)
Age groupCuba (percent of the population)White (percent in the race/percent in the age group)Black (percent in the race/percent in the age group)Mulatto/Mestizo (percent in the race/percent in the age group)
0-141 922 562 (17,22%)1 224 314 (17,10%/63,68%)122 430 (11,84%/6,37%)575 818 (19,37%/29,95%)
15-647 768 006 (69,56%)4 885 309 (68,23%/62,89%)770 162 (74,48%/9,91%)2 112 535 (71,06%/27,20%)
65+1 476 757 (13,22%)1 050 776 (14,67%/71,15%)141 452 (13,68%/9,58%)284 529 (9,57%/19,27%)

Ancestral origins

Official census 1775-1899 [13]
WhiteNon-white
CensusNumberPercentageNumberPercentage
177596,44056.275,18043.8
1792153,55956.4118,74143.6
1817257,38045.0314,98355.0
1827311,05144.2393,43555.8
1841418,29141.5589,33358.5
1861793,48456.8603,04643.2
18771,023,39467.8485,89732.2
18871,102,88967.6528,79832.4
18991,067,35467.9505,44332.1

According to the previous censuses, the Chinese were counted as white. [14] The ancestry of Cubans comes from many sources:

During the 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century, large waves of Spanish immigrants from Canary Islands, Catalonia, Andalusia, Galicia, and Asturias emigrated to Cuba. Between 1820 and 1898, a total of 508,455 people left Spain, and more than 750,000 Spanish immigrants left for Cuba between 1899 and 1930, with many returning to Spain. [15] There are 139,851 Spanish citizens living in Cuba as of 1 January 2018.

The Slave trade brought Africans to Cuba during its early history: Between 1842 and 1873, 221,000 African slaves entered Cuba. [15]

People of the Americas:

Other European people that have contributed include:

People from Asia:

Between 1842 and 1873, 124,800 Chinese arrived. [15]

Genetics

An autosomal study from 2014 has found out the genetic average ancestry in Cuba to be 72% European, 20% African and 8% Native American with different proportions depending on the self-reported ancestry (White, Mulatto or Mestizo, and Black): [16]

Self-reported ancestryEuropeanAfricanNative American
White86%6.7%7.8%
Mulatto/Mestizo63.8%25.5%10.7%
Black29%65.5%5.5%

A 1995 study done on the population of Pinar del Rio, found that 50% of the Mt-DNA lineages (female lineages) could be traced back to Europeans, 46% to Africans and 4% to Native Americans. This figure is consistent with both the historical background of the region, and the current demographics of it. [17]

According to another study in 2008, the Native American contribution to present-day Cubans accounted for 33% of the maternal lineages, whereas Africa and Eurasia contributed 45% and 22% of the lineages, respectively. Haplogroup A2 is the main Native American haplogroup in Cuba (21.9% of the total sample), accounting for 67% of the Native American mtDNA gene pool. Regarding Y-chromosome haplogroups (male lineages), 78.8% of the sequences found in Cubans are of West Eurasian origin, 19.7% of African origin and 1.5% of East Asian origin. Among the West Eurasian fraction, the vast majority of individuals belong to West European haplogroup R1b. The African lineages found in Cubans have a Western (haplogroups E1, E2, E1b1a) and Northern (E1b1b-M81) African origin. The "Berber" haplogroup E1b1b1b (E-M81), is found at a frequency of 6.1%. [18]

According to Fregel et al. (2009), the fact that autochthonous male North African E-M81 and female U6 lineages from the Canaries have been detected in Cuba and Iberoamerica, demonstrates that Canary Islanders with indigenous ancestors actively participated in the American colonization. [19]

Y-DNA

N [20] E-M33E-M75E-M2E1b1b-M35E1b1b-M78E1b1b-M81E1b1b-M123GIJ2TR1aR1bN/OO-P31
1320.8%1.5%9.8%1.5%4.5%6.1%1.5%6.1%8.3%6.1%1.5%1.5%50.8%0.8%0.8%

mtDNA

N [20] LU6ABCDHI1J*J2aJ1bJ2KT*T1aT2TU*U4U4a2U5aVW
24543.3%2%22.4%2%5.3%3.3%9%0.4%2.4%0.4%0.4%0.4%0.8%0.4%0.8%0.8%0.8%0.8%0.8%1.2%0.8%0.8%0.4%

Other demographics statistics

Historical population of Cuba Historical population of Cuba.svg
Historical population of Cuba

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022. [21]

Demographic statistics according to the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated. [22]

Population

11,089,511 (2022)
10,985,974 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups

White 64.1%, Mulatto or mixed 26.6%, Black 9.3% (2012 est.)
note: data represent racial self-identification from Cuba's 2012 national census

Age structure

Population pyramid of Cuba in 2020 Cuba single age population pyramid 2020.png
Population pyramid of Cuba in 2020
0-14 years: 16.34% (male 929,927/female 877,035)
15-24 years: 11.81% (male 678,253/female 627,384)
25-54 years: 41.95% (male 2,335,680/female 2,303,793)
55-64 years: 14.11% (male 760,165/female 799,734)
65 years and over: 15.8% (male 794,743/female 952,348) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 16.44% (male 940,787 /female 886,996)
15-24 years: 12.1% (male 698,220 /female 646,684)
25-54 years: 43.69% (male 2,443,190 /female 2,414,119)
55-64 years: 12.54% (male 677,304 /female 716,704)
65 years and over: 15.22% (male 773,636 /female 918,756) (2018 est.)

Median age

total: 42.1 years. Country comparison to the world: 37th
male: 40.2 years
female: 43.8 years (2020 est.)
total: 41.8 years. Country comparison to the world: 36th
male: 40.2 years
female: 43.1 years (2018 est.)

Birth rate

10.11 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 188th
10.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 185th

Death rate

9.29 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 51st
8.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 63rd

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 163rd
1.71 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 170th

Net migration rate

-2.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 180th
-4.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 188th

Population growth rate

-0.21% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 211st
-0.27% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 215th

Contraceptive prevalence rate

69% (2019)

Religions

Christian 58.9%, folk religion 17.6%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, Muslim <1%, other <1%, none 23.2% (2020 est.)
note: folk religions include religions of African origin, spiritualism, and others intermingled with Catholicism or Protestantism; data is estimative because no authoritative source on religious affiliation exists for Cuba

Dependency ratio

total dependency ratio: 43.3 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 23.3 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 19.9 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 5 (2015 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 77.4% of total population (2022)
rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Life expectancy in Cuba since 1899 Life expectancy development in Cuba.svg
Life expectancy in Cuba since 1899
Life expectancy in Cuba since 1960 by gender Life expectancy by WBG -Cuba -diff.png
Life expectancy in Cuba since 1960 by gender
total population: 79.64 years. Country comparison to the world: 59th
male: 77.29 years
female: 82.14 years (2022 est.)
total population: 78.9 years. Country comparison to the world: 56th
male: 76.6 years
female: 81.4 years (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)

total population: 99.8%
male: 99.9%
female: 99.8% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 15 years (2020)

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

total: 6.1%. Country comparison to the world: 150th
male: 6.4%
female: 5.6% (2010 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official)

Language

Spanish is the official language of Cuba. Of all the regional variations of Spanish, Cuban Spanish is most similar to, and originates largely from, the dialect spoken in the Canary Islands. This is a consequence of Canarian migration, which in the 19th and early 20th century was heavy and continuous. There were also migrations of Galicians and Asturians as well, but they did not impact Cuban Spanish to the same degree.

Much of the typical Cuban replacements for standard Spanish vocabulary stems from Canarian lexicon. For example, guagua (bus) differs from standard Spanish autobús the former originated in the Canaries and is an onomatopoeia stemming from the sound of a Klaxon horn (wah-wah!). An example of Canarian usage for a Spanish word is the verb fajarse [23] ("to fight"). In standard Spanish the verb would be pelearse , while fajar exists as a non-reflexive verb related to the hemming of a skirt.

The second most spoken language of Cuba is Haitian Creole, used mainly by Haitian immigrants and its descendants going back since the late 18th century, of whom fled the Haitian Revolution.

Other languages of Cuba are Cuban Sign Language, and English is commonly studied as a foreign language.

There are also reports of Lucumi, "Lengua Conga" (Kongo-based liturgical language of the Palo religion) and Bozal Spanish (an "African" socio-dialect of Spanish; now used only in folk religion). [24] Historically, the Ciboney and Classic dialects of Taino and the unattested Guanahatabey were spoken.

Religion

Cuba has a multitude of faiths reflecting the island's diverse cultural elements. Catholicism, which was brought to the island by Spanish colonialists at the beginning of the 16th century, is the most prevalent professed faith. After the revolution, Cuba became an officially atheistic state and restricted religious practice. Since the Fourth Cuban Communist Party Congress in 1991, restrictions have been eased and, according to the National Catholic Observer, direct challenges by state institutions to the right to religion have all but disappeared, [25] though the Church still faces restrictions of written and electronic communication, and can only accept donations from state-approved funding sources. [25] The Roman Catholic Church is made up of the Cuban Catholic Bishops' Conference (COCC), led by Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Cardinal Archbishop of Havana.[ citation needed ] It has eleven dioceses, 56 orders of nuns and 24 orders of priests. In January 1998, Pope John Paul II paid a historic visit to the island, invited by the Cuban government and Catholic Church.

Afro-Cuban religions, a blend of native African religions and Roman Catholicism, are widely practiced in Cuba. This diversity derives from West and Central Africans who were transported to Cuba, and in effect reinvented their African religions. They did so by combining them with elements of the Catholic belief system, with a result very similar to Brazil. One of these Afro-Cuban religions is Santeria.

Protestantism, introduced from the United States in the 18th century, has seen a steady increase in popularity. 300,000 Cubans belong to the island's 54 Protestant denominations. Pentecostalism has grown rapidly in recent years, and the Assemblies of God alone claims a membership of over 167 000 people. The Episcopal Church of Cuba claims 10,000 adherents. Cuba has small communities of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and members of the Baháʼí Faith.

Demographic statistics from the CIA World Factbook

Demographic statistics from the CIA World Factbook [22]
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.96% (male 904,800/female 855,309)
15-24 years: 13.29% (male 752,160/female 714,384)
25-54 years: 47.16% (male 2,620,536/female 2,581,344)
55-64 years: 10.65% (male 562,207/female 612,438)
65 years and over: 12.95% (male 639,515/female 788,740) (2015 est.)
Median age:
Total: 40.4 years
Male: 39.5 years
Female: 41.3 years (2015 est.)
Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.39 years
Male: 76.08 years
Female: 80.84 years (2015 est.)
Ethnic groups
Whites: 64.1%
Mestizo: 26.6%
Blacks: 9.3%
Religionsnominally Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish, Santeria
Languages
Spanish (official)
LiteracyTotal population:99.8% (2002 census)
Male: 99.9%
Female: 99.8%

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Illicit migration is a continuing problem. Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and overland via the southwest US/Mexican border, and islands adjacent to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

See also

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PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2024 ed.). CIA.  (Archived 2006 edition.)