How many Cubans live in Cuba today?

OnCuba proposes a look at the main demographic indicators of the island, according to official data, which include all Cubans with legal residence in the country.

by OnCuba Staff May 31, 2023



The Cuban population has been going through a complex situation for years. The low birth rate and increasing aging mark the demographic scenario of the island, an equation in which migratory flows are another important variable.

However, the question that gives title to this work is, in reality, impossible to answer exactly. Not only because of the variability of the demographic indicators — even when they keep their trends quite clear — but also because of the complexity of measuring the increasingly frequent entry and exit of Cubans from the country. Also due to current provisions on migration.

This was recognized days ago by specialists on the subject when presenting current data and projections on Cuba’s population to the press. Asked about the impact of emigration on these figures, Juan Carlos Alfonso, deputy head of the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), confirmed that the official calculations and estimates are made taking into account the legal regulations in this regard.

Following these guidelines, people who, even though they are outside the island, maintain their legal residence on it, are officially counted as part of the Cuban population. And, as will be recalled, as regulated by law, a Cuban can stay abroad for up to 24 months without losing his or her resident status in the country. Added to this is the moratorium in force today beyond that time, established during the pandemic.

Therefore, the 11,089,511 inhabitants that Cuba officially had at the end of 2022 should include the around 300,000 Cubans who entered the United States irregularly last year, according to data from the U.S. authorities. And also those who left legally or illegally for that or other destinations at least in the last two years.

More:
https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/society-cuba/population/how-many-cubans-live-in-cuba-today-i/