Cuba population pyramid 2026
Latin America and the Caribbean · Caribbean
10,892,659 people in 2026 (projected). Cuba’s widest bands are people in their fifties and early sixties, the baby boom of the 1960s and early 1970s, sitting above a base about half their size.
- 2026 population
- 10.9Mrank 90 of 237
- Median age
- 42.5 yearsoldest rank 43
- Fertility rate
- 1.45births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older17.6% age 65+
Cuba population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Cuba age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 14.7% of the population, while 17.6% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 67.7% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Cuba’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 47.8: about 48 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (21.8 children and 26.0 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Cuba’s population pyramid
The boom of the 1960s and the fall of the 1970s
Cuba’s pyramid is dominated by one generation. After the 1959 revolution births rose sharply, and fertility stayed around four children per woman through the 1960s. It then fell faster than almost anywhere else in the region, from about 4.0 in 1970 to 1.6 in 1980, making Cuba one of the first countries in Latin America with fertility below replacement level. The cohorts born around 1962–76 are therefore much larger than those before or after them. In 2000 they formed a broad bulge at ages 25–39; in 2026 they are aged 50–64, the three widest bands in the chart.
The cohorts that followed carry their own marks. The 45–49 band, born about 1977–81, is around 21% smaller than its neighbours, the low point of the 1970s decline; that period also included the Mariel boatlift of 1980, when about 125,000 people left for the United States. A smaller bulge at 35–39, born about 1987–91, is roughly 15% larger than the bands around it, an echo produced as the large boom generation reached its main childbearing years.
Older than its neighbours, and shrinking
Fertility has stayed below replacement for more than four decades, and in 2026 it is about 1.45. Combined with life expectancy above 78 and sustained emigration, this has produced one of the oldest populations in the Americas, with a 2026 age structure closest to that of Thailand among larger countries. The population peaked at about 11.3 million in 2012, and deaths have exceeded births since 2019. The UN estimates net emigration of about 1.4 million between 1950 and 1999 and 600,000 more between 2000 and 2023, and it projects a further net outflow of about 365,000 between 2026 and 2050.
The 1950 chart preserves an older migration story: men far outnumbered women between ages 40 and 69, a pattern often linked to the large, mostly male immigration from Spain in the early twentieth century. Today the imbalance runs the other way above 50, falling to 82 men per 100 women at 70–74, as in most countries with a sizeable gap in life expectancy.
A top-heavy future
Under the UN medium scenario the population falls to about 9.4 million by 2050, when the boom generation will be in its mid-seventies to late eighties and people aged 65 and over will make up about 30% of residents. The base continues to narrow, giving a textbook constrictive pyramid, and Cuba appears among the countries in the largest population decline by 2050 ranking.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45–49 | 1977–1981 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −21% |
| 35–39 | 1987–1991 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +15% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 2019. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2020 and 2023.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Cuba is projected to record 92,314 births (about 253 births a day) and 115,769 deaths, a natural decrease of 23,455. Net migration adds −22,086 people, ranking #180 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 2,888,145 births, 2,377,558 deaths, and cumulative net migration of −601,031. Over that period migration moved the total more than the balance of births and deaths did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of −364,715 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 81.0 years61.3 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 76.3 years57.1 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 18.5 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 4.3per 1,000 births · 87 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 5.4per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 26.3 yearssex ratio at birth 107.0
Women in Cuba are projected to live 4.7 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 87 to 4.3 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #188 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 26.3 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Cuba
The median age of 42.5 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.45 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 78.6 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,892,659 | #90 | Largest first |
| Median age | 42.5 years | #43 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.45 | #181 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.4% | #201 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 78.6 years | #74 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 17.6% | #65 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Cuba
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55–59 | 946,374 | 8.7% | 457.1K / 489.3K |
| 2 | 60–64 | 907,634 | 8.3% | 431.9K / 475.7K |
| 3 | 50–54 | 865,719 | 7.9% | 423.9K / 441.8K |
| 4 | 35–39 | 787,378 | 7.2% | 403.6K / 383.7K |
| 5 | 40–44 | 695,500 | 6.4% | 354.6K / 340.9K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Cuba has 5,370,219 males and 5,522,440 females. That is 97.2 males per 100 females, ranking #148 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 49.3% of the population and females for 50.7%. There are 152,221 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 79.6 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 107.0 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Cuba has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 5,924,511 in 1950 to 10,892,659 in 2026, a change of 84%. Over the same span, median age moved from 21.2 to 42.5 years.
The under-15 share changed from 36.6% to 14.7%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 4.3% to 17.6%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Cuba’s population is projected to decline by about 14%, reaching 9,382,000 in 2050. The median age changes from 42.5 to 49.9 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 12.6 percentage points to 30.2%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 11.8%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 11,303,176 in 2012. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5,924,511 | 21.2 | 4.03 | 59.0 | 189,922 | 66,619 | −6,090 | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 7,238,081 | 21.4 | 4.13 | 63.3 | 237,331 | 64,510 | −25,396 | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 8,824,382 | 20.7 | 3.98 | 67.9 | 263,853 | 62,029 | −44,466 | +1.8% |
| 1980 | 9,804,796 | 23.0 | 1.64 | 72.6 | 136,181 | 61,912 | −37,114 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 10,631,799 | 26.7 | 1.81 | 73.8 | 186,612 | 74,231 | −15,438 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 11,109,108 | 32.1 | 1.61 | 75.9 | 142,835 | 81,699 | −24,980 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 11,297,409 | 37.3 | 1.67 | 77.9 | 129,104 | 92,084 | −34,121 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11,176,354 | 41.3 | 1.49 | 77.4 | 103,465 | 116,268 | −11,976 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 11,019,930 | 41.7 | 1.44 | 78.1 | 95,938 | 111,819 | −22,797 | -0.3% |
| 2024* | 10,979,783 | 41.9 | 1.45 | 78.3 | 94,650 | 113,915 | −22,356 | -0.4% |
| 2026* | 10,892,659 | 42.5 | 1.45 | 78.6 | 92,314 | 115,769 | −22,086 | -0.4% |
| 2030* | 10,700,822 | 43.8 | 1.47 | 79.3 | 88,613 | 119,965 | −19,267 | -0.5% |
| 2040* | 10,125,837 | 47.6 | 1.49 | 81.0 | 78,687 | 130,898 | −13,292 | -0.7% |
| 2050* | 9,382,000 | 49.9 | 1.51 | 82.6 | 67,401 | 142,164 | −7,856 | -0.9% |
| 2060* | 8,500,004 | 51.1 | 1.53 | 84.0 | 59,368 | 142,485 | −6,737 | -1.1% |
| 2070* | 7,662,115 | 52.9 | 1.54 | 85.3 | 53,540 | 124,669 | −6,046 | -1.0% |
| 2080* | 6,923,877 | 53.9 | 1.55 | 86.6 | 47,443 | 115,040 | −5,168 | -1.1% |
| 2090* | 6,213,693 | 54.3 | 1.56 | 87.7 | 42,313 | 105,418 | −4,594 | -1.1% |
| 2100* | 5,577,282 | 54.9 | 1.57 | 88.8 | 38,415 | 94,396 | −4,107 | -1.1% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 241,105 | 225,123 | 466,228 | 4.3% |
| 5–9 | 276,119 | 256,794 | 532,913 | 4.9% |
| 10–14 | 312,474 | 292,060 | 604,534 | 5.5% |
| 15–19 | 305,666 | 291,683 | 597,349 | 5.5% |
| 20–24 | 313,370 | 299,163 | 612,533 | 5.6% |
| 25–29 | 343,644 | 326,435 | 670,079 | 6.2% |
| 30–34 | 346,685 | 327,309 | 673,994 | 6.2% |
| 35–39 | 403,635 | 383,743 | 787,378 | 7.2% |
| 40–44 | 354,625 | 340,875 | 695,500 | 6.4% |
| 45–49 | 310,282 | 304,570 | 614,852 | 5.6% |
| 50–54 | 423,894 | 441,825 | 865,719 | 7.9% |
| 55–59 | 457,050 | 489,324 | 946,374 | 8.7% |
| 60–64 | 431,942 | 475,692 | 907,634 | 8.3% |
| 65–69 | 276,613 | 316,075 | 592,688 | 5.4% |
| 70–74 | 214,552 | 260,825 | 475,377 | 4.4% |
| 75–79 | 163,822 | 207,607 | 371,429 | 3.4% |
| 80–84 | 108,838 | 149,280 | 258,118 | 2.4% |
| 85–89 | 57,270 | 84,865 | 142,135 | 1.3% |
| 90–94 | 21,513 | 35,681 | 57,194 | 0.5% |
| 95–99 | 6,085 | 11,263 | 17,348 | 0.2% |
| 100+ | 1,034 | 2,249 | 3,283 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Cuba’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Jersey96% overlap · median age 43.9
- Sint Maarten (Dutch part)95% overlap · median age 42.0
- Liechtenstein94% overlap · median age 44.7
- Guernsey94% overlap · median age 44.5
- Thailand94% overlap · median age 41.0
- Austria94% overlap · median age 43.9
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Cuba.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Cuba Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cuba/
MLA
“Cuba Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cuba/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Cuba Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/cuba/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Cuba in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Cuba's population in 2026 is projected at 10,892,659.
What is the median age in Cuba?
The projected median age in Cuba in 2026 is 42.5 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Cuba?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.45 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Cuba's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 14%, from 10.9M to 9.4M.
What share of Cuba is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 17.6% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 30.2%.
How many babies are born in Cuba each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 92,314 births and 115,769 deaths in 2026, about 253 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 23,455.
What is life expectancy in Cuba for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 81.0 years for women and 76.3 years for men, a gap of 4.7 years in favour of women.
Does Cuba have more immigrants or emigrants?
Cuba is projected to lose about 22,086 more people through emigration than it gains in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of −601,031.
What is the sex ratio in Cuba?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 97.2 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.