Madrid/The aging of the population in Cuba is accelerating at a dizzying rate, so that the Island now has 24.4% of residents over 60 years of age (2,452,489), one point more than the previous year and almost five if compared with 2016 (19.8%), when it was already considered high. Furthermore, in 20 years, the increase was 9.7 percentage points.
The report, prepared by the Center for Population and Development Studies and published this Wednesday by the National Office of Statistics and Information (Onei), updates the situation at the end of 2023 and leaves some devastating data that shows the speed of the process. In 1899, there were 4.6% of people over 60, which represents an increase of 20 points in 124 years. The number would not be important if one takes into account that in the 20th century, advances in medicine and female emancipation led to a generalized aging of the population in the world, particularly in developed countries. However, as the report indicates “the country took a little more than 120 years [en subir en 20 puntos la población mayor]. This same journey in the countries of Europe took between two and three centuries.”
In addition to being the oldest country in Latin America, experts have had to develop their own and alternative scale
In its surroundings, Cuba is also an anomaly. In addition to being the oldest country in Latin America, experts have had to develop their own scale, an alternative to that of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), to measure the elderly groups. The agency’s statistics have created three intervals that indicate the degree of aging, where I refers to less than 10% of the population over 60 compared to the total, II for between 10% and 15%, and III when exceeds 15%.
“In this sense and based on the progress of the aging process that the country presents, it has been necessary to adapt the previous classification to the Cuban context, establishing a new typology, considering that all territories show increasing values,” says the report, which contemplates four groups. I when the elderly represent less than 15% of the population, II when it is between 15 and 19.9%, III between 20.0 and 24.9% and IV when it exceeds 25%.
The report contains data on the degree of aging of the population detailed by provinces and municipalities, sex and area of residence (urban or rural) in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The numerous tables allow us to observe that few municipalities fall below 20%, Alquizar , in Artemisa (18.2%); Zapata Swamp; in Matanzas (19.6%); La Sierpe, in Sancti Spíritus (19.2%); Bolivia and Baraguá, in Ciego de Ávila (19.2 and 19.9); Antilles, in Holguín (19.1%); Río Cauto, in Granma (19.4%); Tercer Frente and Guamá, in Santiago de Cuba (19.4% and 19.2%) are the ones that achieve it.
Everything indicates that the highest rate of young population in this province is not linked to its greater development, but rather to its lower purchasing power.
A special case is the province of Guantánamo, which is the youngest as a whole (21.3%) and has a good number of municipalities with relatively low numbers. The downward record is Yateras, with 16% of the elderly population, followed by Caimanera (17%) and El Salvador (17.7%). All the others are between 19% and 20%, except for Baracoa and the main city. Unfortunately, everything indicates that the higher rate of young population in this province is not linked to its greater development, but rather to its lower purchasing power, which makes emigration difficult.
At the other extreme, the oldest province is Villa Clara, which has 27.8% of the population over 60 years of age, followed by Havana (26.5%) and Sancti Spíritus (25.4%). All the municipalities, without exception, of Villa Clara are classified within group IV, however, the highest percentage of the entire Island, with a large difference, goes to Plaza de la Revolución, with 35.1% of people over 60 years.
Several municipalities in the capital stand out for their high numbers, with Playa and Diez de Octubre, close to 30%, sharing the podium with the previous one. However, there are also many others, such as San Miguel del Padrón or Arroyo Naranjo, that remain in group III, allowing Havana to not be the oldest province on the Island. In their case, there is a struggle between two circumstances , is the area with the most job possibilities – and which, therefore, receives the most internal population – but also with the most options to obtain the money or contacts to leave the country.
In Cuba, the aging of the population is also due to a very notable “decrease in the proportion of children under 14 years of age,” highlights the report, which explains how “all of this is present in the variation of the image of a pyramid with a base wide and narrow top, transitioning to a rectangular shape.”
Experts also predict that next year the aging trend will continue to accelerate, which, the report highlights, means that there are “many challenges that the country must face to improve the needs of an increasingly elderly population.” numerous.”
