The population census initially scheduled for the end of 2022, will not be able to be carried out until the beginning of 2025 for “economic reasons” and the lack of fuel. The director of the Center for Population and Development Studies (Cepde), Diego Enrique González Galbán, acknowledged that the current fuel crisis complicates the job.
According to González, last March the budget was approved to be able to carry out the “prior registration of the census” during 2023 and a “census test” by the end of the year. However, the collection of information will only be carried out in “the first quarter of 2025”.
The deputy head of the National Statistics and Information Office (Onei), Juan Carlos Alfonso Fraga, stated that the census “has been postponed for economic reasons”, but stressed that it will be carried out.
The official press never alluded to the 8,000 mobile devices that Mexico donated to Onei on May 12 to collect data. As reported a few days ago by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), the tablets They are a support for Onei “to develop the population and housing census, as well as other statistical investigations.”
In addition, the director of Innovation in International Alliances of the Inegi, José Eduardo de la Torre, commented that a technical mission trained Cuban personnel to carry out the processing of census information and conduct household surveys and other statistical processes.
The crisis on the Island has worsened since the pandemic, to which are added the errors in internal monetary and economic policies. In addition to the lack of basic products such as food and medicine, frequent blackouts and high inflation, fuel shortages have been added for two months.
The lack of fuel and food also affected tourism in Cuba. The official goal was not reached than 3.5 million visitors, which were required to revive the battered national economy. Gasoline shortages have forced several universities to use virtual classes.
The population census will reflect, among other things, the effect of the migratory exodus. Only in 2022 more than 313,000 Cubans arrived irregularly at the southern border of the United States
The population census will reflect, among other things, the effect of the migratory exodus. Only in 2022, more than 313,000 Cubans arrived irregularly at the southern border of the United States. The population calculation made by Onei does not yet include these numbers since travelers are not registered as emigrants until they have spent two years in the country. foreign.
Fraga said that in Cuba there is an important floating population that leaves the island for seasons, but also returns. However, he assured, the trend is downward and that, after the peak reached in 2016, with 11,239,224 inhabitants, the population on the Island has fallen and is expected to continue to decline progressively in the long term.
The population estimate at the end of 2022 was 11,089,511, compared to 11,113,215 the previous year. The official estimate is that in 2025 it will be below 11 million and that 17 years later it will fall below 10 million.
The drop in about 24,000 people between 2021 and 2022 with the numbers of Cuban migrants that the US registered last year at its border (more than 313,000). The calculation also excludes the data on deaths from covid-19. According to the Onei statistics of May 2022, the Cuban government only reported a seventh of the deaths by the coronavirus.
The two experts coincided in recognizing the socioeconomic challenge posed for Cuba by the combination of the progressive aging of its population with massive migration, mainly of young people of working and reproductive age.
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