Guantanamo.- Cuba ended 2025 with a negative net migration rate and a more aged population, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI). These trends highlight the pressures shaping the country’s demographic outlook and the importance of factoring them into public policy planning.
The published data put the net migration rate at -25.6 per 1,000 inhabitants. Havana recorded the sharpest decline (-33.6), followed by Matanzas (-28.8) and Cienfuegos (-28.0). Among the provinces cited, Holguín (-19.8) and Las Tunas (-20.5) had the least negative rates.
The net migration rate compares the number of immigrants with the number of emigrants in relation to the average population over a given period. A negative rate means more people leave than arrive, but it does not show the total number of emigrants or explain why they moved.
Population aging also continued: the share of people aged 60 and over rose to 26.7 percent in 2025, from 25.7 percent in 2024. Villa Clara had the highest provincial figure, at 30.2 percent, followed by Havana at 29.1 percent.ç
Guantánamo recorded the lowest level of population aging among the provinces, at 23.3, followed by Santiago de Cuba and Artemisa, both at 24.2. Similar disparities appeared at the municipal level: Plaza de la Revolución, in Havana, recorded the highest figure, at 38.2, while Yateras had the lowest, at 17.9.
Trends in both indicators pose challenges for economic and social planning, affecting everything from labor-force availability to healthcare provision, caregiving, and support for older adults. Differences across provinces and municipalities underscore the need for responses tailored to each territory’s specific circumstances and needs, alongside broader demographic trends across Cuba.
