Cuba Population

Cuba is a one-party socialist state and, as a result, has lived for more than 50 years with US sanctions and trade blockades. In recent years, both economic and political reforms have been implemented, but the Communist Party still has all the power.

Key figures and facts

• Capital: Havana
• Ethnic groups: European origin 64.1%, mixed European and African or indigenous people 26.6%, African origin 9.3% (2012)
• Language: Spanish (official)
• Religion: Christians 59.2%, popular religions 17.4%, others 0.4%, none 23% (2010)
• Population: 11 489 082
• Control Form: Communist state
• Area: 109 890 Km2
• Currency: Cuban Peso
• National Day: January 1st

Cuba’s Population

The population of Cuba in 2013 was estimated at 11.3 million (World Bank) and annual growth to approximately 0%. Thanks to family planning and comprehensive health campaigns, birth rates and death rates have dropped sharply since 1959, and today are among the lowest in Latin America. In 2013, they were 9.6 and 7.6 respectively. Also, infant mortality (5 per 1,000 live births 2013) shows low values. Life expectancy is 81.1 years for women and 77.1 for men (2012).

The Cuban population has a mixed ethnic and cultural background where Spanish and African dominate, but there are also French, Chinese and North American elements. 66% of Cubans consider themselves white, known as “criollos”, 12% are black and 21% are “mulatos”. The Chinese make up approximately 1%. Most blacks are descendants of slaves who were taken from countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and Gambia during the colonial erato work on the sugar plantations. Cuba was the last place in the Caribbean where slavery was abolished; that did not happen until 1886. Remnants of the ethnically characterized social stratification still exist. The vast majority of management positions in any sector are white, while blacks are particularly prominent in sports and music. The majority of blacks live along the coast and in the southeastern provinces.

After the revolution great social welfare was invested for the entire population. free health care for the population and one of the highest medical and hospital coverage rates in the Western Hemisphere. However, it is clear that the serious financial problems of recent years, with extensive commodity shortage and rationing, are causing a deterioration in people’s living conditions and jeopardizing much of what has been gained in the social sphere.

Many Cubans have, after Castro’s takeover, emigrated or fled to the United States, especially to the Miami area of Florida.

Population of Cuba by Year (Historical)

Year	Population	Annual Growth Rate	Population Density	Global Rank
2020	11,326,505	-0.060%	106.4132	83
2019	11,333,372	-0.040%	106.4777	82
2018	11,338,023	-0.010%	106.5214	81
2017	11,339,143	0.040%	106.5319	79
2016	11,334,993	0.090%	106.4929	78
2015	11,324,670	0.180%	106.3959	77
2010	11,225,721	-0.060%	105.4663	75
2005	11,261,471	0.240%	105.8022	72
2000	11,126,319	0.430%	104.5324	70
1995	10,888,141	0.540%	102.2947	65
1990	10,596,876	0.970%	99.5583	63
1985	10,097,800	0.500%	94.8695	60
1980	9,849,348	0.840%	92.5353	59
1975	9,446,331	1.630%	88.7490	59
1970	8,712,430	1.830%	81.8540	60
1965	7,958,058	2.190%	74.7667	62
1960	7,141,139	1.780%	67.0918	63
1955	6,539,343	2.010%	61.4379	62
1950	5,919,882	0.000%	55.6181	61

Major Cities in Cuba by Population

Rank	City	Population
1	Havana	2,163,713
2	Santiago de Cuba	555,754
3	Camaguey	347,451
4	Holguin	318,991
5	Guantanamo	272,690
6	Santa Clara	250,401
7	Diez de Octubre	227,182
8	Arroyo Naranjo	209,942
9	Las Tunas	203,573
10	Bayamo	192,521
11	Boyeros	188,482
12	Pinar del Rio	186,879
13	Cienfuegos	186,533
14	Habana del Este	177,930
15	San Miguel del Padron	159,162
16	Centro Habana	158,040
17	Matanzas	146,622
18	Ciego de Avila	141,916
19	Cerro	132,240
20	Manzanillo	128,077
21	Sancti Spiritus	126,958
22	Guanabacoa	112,853
23	Palma Soriano	102,715
24	Alamar	99,889
25	Cardenas	98,404
26	La Habana Vieja	95,272
27	Moa	92,741
28	Puerto Padre	76,727
29	Contramaestre	70,327
30	Guira de Melena	69,768
31	Consolacion del Sur	69,746
32	Gueines	68,824
33	Artemisa	67,962
34	San Luis	67,182
35	Moron	65,949
36	Colon	63,771
37	Florida	62,896
38	Sagua la Grande	61,962
39	Trinidad	60,095
40	San Cristobal	59,468
41	Placetas	55,297
42	San Jose de las Lajas	54,736
43	Jaguey Grande	54,252
44	Nuevitas	53,911
45	Banes	52,993
46	Bartolome Maso	52,913
47	Corralillo	51,770
48	Jesus Menendez	50,891
49	Jobabo	49,292
50	Baracoa	48,251
51	Jovellanos	47,053
52	Bauta	45,657
53	Santo Domingo	45,365
54	Cabaiguan	44,404
55	Regla	44,320
56	San German	43,781
57	Ranchuelo	43,584
58	San Antonio de los Banos	42,613
59	Cacocum	42,512
60	Yaguajay	42,107
61	Manicaragua	41,421
62	Amancio	41,412
63	Jiguani	40,995
64	Cifuentes	40,031
65	Guaimaro	39,247
66	Caibarien	39,029
67	Cumanayagua	38,576
68	Condado	38,137
69	Camajuani	35,404
70	Santiago de las Vegas	35,130
71	Santa Cruz del Sur	34,490
72	Minas de Matahambre	34,308
73	Remedios	33,997
74	Madruga	33,687
75	Union de Reyes	33,535
76	Vertientes	29,593
77	Ciro Redondo	29,449
78	Mariel	28,876
79	Yara	28,833
80	La Salud	28,685
81	Maisi	28,165
82	Gibara	27,492
83	Vinales	27,018
84	Pedro Betancourt	26,650
85	Cueto	26,416
86	Encrucijada	26,044
87	Rio Guayabal de Yateras	25,642
88	Los Palacios	25,592
89	Limonar	25,310
90	Guanajay	25,147
91	Campechuela	24,958
92	Cruces	24,795
93	Chambas	24,003
94	Perico	23,962
95	Rio Cauto	23,626
96	Aguada de Pasajeros	23,495
97	Calimete	23,144
98	Palmira	22,967
99	Lajas	22,491
100	Jimaguayu	21,058
101	Cauto Cristo	21,048
102	Minas	20,752
103	Esmeralda	20,163
104	Nueva Gerona	20,153
105	Jaruco	20,096
106	Colombia	19,985
107	Varadero	19,889
108	Fomento	19,880
109	Bahia Honda	19,723
110	Florencia	19,700
111	Jatibonico	19,533
112	Rodas	19,101
113	Niquero	18,660
114	Guisa	18,297
115	Santa Cruz del Norte	18,291
116	Sagua de Tanamo	18,171
117	Bejucal	18,012
118	Primero de Enero	17,823
119	Jobabo	17,693
120	La Sierpe	16,826
121	Sibanicu	16,745
122	Media Luna	16,602
123	Abreus	16,600
124	Venezuela	16,490
125	Guane	16,437
126	Alquizar	15,164
127	Baragua	15,157
128	Guayos	14,889
129	Jamaica	14,889
130	San Nicolas de Bari	14,803
131	Batabano	13,721
132	Marti	13,328
133	Manati	13,167
134	Quivican	12,808
135	Quemado de Guines	12,625
136	Candelaria	12,564
137	Los Arabos	12,393
138	Mantua	10,686
139	Esperanza	10,351
140	Calabazar de Sagua	10,344
141	Topes de Collantes	9,618
142	Zaza del Medio	8,556
143	Soroa	7,094
144	Bolondron	6,667
145	San Luis	6,579
146	Cabanas	5,783
147	Alacranes	5,732

Aborigines

The first residents were Indians, who came there in several pools, the first maybe 7,000 years ago. At the beginning of the Spanish colonization in 1510, nearly 500,000 Indians lived in Cuba. After 50 years, the Indians were practically exterminated, either killed by the Spaniards or killed by European diseases or by collective suicide.

Settlement

The population density is 105.8 units per km² (World Bank 2013). The most densely populated is the western part, where Havana alone has 20% of the population. Havana, however, has not been raised by pure slums by pattern from the rest of Latin America. The share of the population in cities and towns is 77%, and the largest cities are (population 2000): Havana (2.2 million), Santiago de Cuba (0.4 million) and Camagüey (0.3 million).

Religion

About 58% of the population is not a member of any religious community, of which approximately 13% declared atheists. The Catholic Church is the largest religious community with approximately 39% of the population. About 2.4% are Protestants. There are also Afro-Cuban syncretistic religions.

Language

The official language is Spanish.