The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) confirmed in its 2025 Statistical Yearbook that the economy of cuba has reached a critical limit: two consecutive years of contraction and the lowest level of current gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the entire region.
The ECLAC report It places the island in last place in Latin America, even below Haiti, and reflects a gap of almost 90% with respect to the regional average. According to the entity, the Cuban GDP at current prices reached just 12,099.9 million dollars in 2025, equivalent to 0.2% of the regional total estimated at 6.79 trillion.
In per capita terms, the figure plummets to 1,082.8 dollars, compared to the 10,212.2 dollars on average in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The contrast becomes shocking, given that while countries of similar size register much higher figures—such as the Dominican Republic (10,867 dollars per capita) and Costa Rica (18,867)—Cuba is relegated to last place.
Even Haiti, traditionally considered the poorest country in the region, surpasses the island with $2,136 per capita.
The Cuban economy will contract by 5% in 2025, estimates an official study center
Inflation adjustments: a relative improvement
The regional body also calculated the GDP at constant 2018 prices, which allows the effects of inflation to be corrected.
Under this indicator, the Cuban economy reaches 88,906.6 million dollars, equivalent to 1.4% of the regional total. Constant GDP per capita stands at $7,956.1, still 12% below the regional average of $9,032.9.
Although the distance is reducing, Cuba continues to lag behind. The economist Elías Amor, on your blog Cubaeconomystressed that “the crisis does not respond to a specific episode, but to an accumulated structural deterioration.”
According to Amor, the island faces a scenario of “extreme poverty” in terms of current income and a persistent lag even in adjusted measurements.
Two years of decline compared to regional growth
The Yearbook confirms that the Cuban economy contracted 2.6% in 2024, according to ECLAC, and 2.3% according to official figures. The trend continued into 2025, consolidating two consecutive years of decline.
In contrast, Latin America and the Caribbean recorded aggregate growth of 4.7% in the same period.
The divergence shows Cuba’s inability to take advantage of the regional expansion cycle. While countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Chile achieved significant rebounds, the island sank into a dynamic of contraction that reinforces its economic isolation.
The ECLAC report joins the warnings of other organizations and experts.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its December 2025 report, noted that the poorest country on the planet is Burundi, with an annual GDP of $450 per inhabitant. However, analysts highlight that this figure is three times higher than the average salary of a Cuban worker in the countryside and four times higher if the entire population is included.
Structural deterioration and neighborhood distance
Specialists agree that the Cuban crisis is not temporary. The lack of profound reforms, other internal failures and inefficiencies, the dependence on external subsidies and the impact of US sanctions—combined with the recent oil blockade imposed by the Trump Administration—have further weakened the country’s productive capacity.
Amor maintains that “the deterioration has been occurring continuously” and that the severity of the scenario demands “responsibility and competence now.” For the economist, the persistence of centralized policies and the absence of incentives for the private sector have run the economy aground at a point of difficult return.
While Cuba retreats, the region shows signs of dynamism. The aggregate growth of 4.7% in 2024 and 2025 reflects the post-pandemic recovery and expansion of sectors such as energy, tourism and technology.
Countries such as the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica have capitalized on their economic openness and productive diversification, consolidating much higher income levels.
The gap with Cuba is widening not only in terms of GDP, but also in social indicators such as employment, foreign investment and access to basic goods. The island, trapped in a subsistence economy, is increasingly distancing itself from its neighbors.
In the opinion of experts, Cuba’s immediate future looks bleak. With two years of contraction and GDP per capita at historic lows, the government’s room for maneuver is limited. The lack of foreign currency, the energy crisis and social pressure due to the deterioration of living standards create a scenario of high vulnerability.
ECLAC warns that, without structural changes, the island will hardly be able to reverse the trend. The international community observes the deterioration with concern, aware that the Cuban crisis has regional implications in terms of migration and security.
