On May 10 Granma, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, reported that for 2018 the country continued to have a declining and aging population.[1]
For the second consecutive year, Cuba registered a reduction of total population. For 2019 it was 11,432 with a total population of 11,209,628.
According to the National Office of Statistics and Information, this was due to the fourth lowest number of live births in the last 60 years and a net negative foreign emigration.
The only population segment to increase was those 60 years and older, now 20.4% (2,286,948) of the total population. This is good news in that people are living longer.
On the other hand, this government agency projects that in 2030 those 60 years and older will constitute 29.3% of the population while there will be “ a significant reduction in the economically active population, which will have a significant impact on various sectors of the economic and social life of the nation.” This will call for “an increase . . . in the demand for geriatric and gerontology services, in addition to those related to safety and social assistance.” And who will provide such services?
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[1] Peláez, Cuba Near the Threshold of a New Demographic Era? Granma (May 10, 2019). See also Cuba Addresses Its Declining and Aging Population, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 17, 2016); Cuba’s Success and Problems with an Aging, Declining Population, dwkcommentaries.com (Mar. 10, 2019.
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