The last population and housing census in Cuba, conducted in 2012, revealed that 18% of the population was already in its sixties. This figure has now risen to more than 21% of the population, which represents approximately 2.3 million elderly people out of a population of just over 11 million.
These statistics place Cuba among the countries with the most aging populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank, the percentage of people over 60 in the region is 11%. Furthermore, projections indicate that by 2050, Cuban society could be among those with the greatest longevity in the world.
As a new national census approaches, scheduled for September 2023, the outlook for the country remains worrying, especially regarding the birth rate. The serious economic situation is causing many new families to delay the decision to have children. For decades, Cuba has faced a continuous decline in the birth rate, a prolonged life expectancy, as well as chronic emigration of its young population.
The long-awaited and necessary reactivation of the economy could prove to be very complex. It has already been deeply affected by the economic blockade and by the recurring administrative errors of the Cuban government.
To face this demographic challenge, it is imperative to implement urgent plans to encourage younger generations to start families and ensure the continuity of the Cuban population. At this point, the situation has become as emblematic as the old American cars that still circulate in the country.
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