Land of deserted streets: Cuba's population drops 10% amid 2022-23 migration crisis

Facing a severe economic downturn and a government crackdown on dissent, over 10 per cent of Cuba’s population, more than a million people, left the island between 2022 and 2023.

Various media reports indicate that Cuba’s population decreased from 11,181,595 on December 31, 2021, to 10,055,968 by December 2023, in the largest migration wave in the country’s history.

According to US border authorities, the 2021-2022 fiscal year saw a record 224,000 encounters with Cuban migrants at the Mexico border. Specifically, October 2022 saw 29,878 Cuban migrants stopped, followed by 35,881 in November, and 44,064 in December.

The Coast Guard intercepted 6,182 Cubans attempting to reach the US by sea during the same fiscal year, with an additional 4,795 interceptions in the subsequent three months.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

These record migrations figured amidst a severe economic crisis in Cuba, erupted by the coronavirus pandemic, inefficient economic reforms, and intensified US sanctions aimed at pressuring the Cuban government to change its model.

The island faced blackouts, shortages, inflation, long fuel lines, and increased dollarisation throughout 2021 and 2022, leading to the first major street demonstrations in decades, with thousands demanding an end to power outages.

Cuba’s demographic landscape is undergoing a profound transformation due to the current crisis, posing a significant threat to the nation’s foundation. As a substantial number of citizens depart, the country is likely to be left with a rapidly aging population and severe workforce shortages.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

The prevailing disillusionment among young people, who have lost confidence in Cuba’s future, proves the critical need for substantial political and economic reforms to halt the exodus and restore stability to the nation.