Cuba is a multiracial society with a population of mainly Spanish and African origins. The largest organized religion is the Roman CatholicChurch. Santeria, a blend of native African religions and Roman Catholicism, is the most widely practiced religion in Cuba. Officially, Cubahas had been an atheist state for most of the Castro era. However, a constitutional amendment adopted on July 12, 1992 changed the nature of the Cuban state from atheist to secular, enabling religious believers to belong to the Cuban Communist Party (PCC).
Cuba's population in thousands (1961-2003)
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Population: |
11,394,043 (July 2007 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 18.8% (male 1,100,672/female 1,042,327)
15-64 years: 70.5% (male 4,019,648/female 4,016,429)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 554,043/female 660,924) (2007 est.) |
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Median age: |
Total: 36.3 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 37 years (2007 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.273% (2007 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
11.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate: |
7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.056 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.001 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.838 male(s)/female
total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
Total: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
Total population: 77.08 years
male: 74.85 years
female: 79.43 years (2007 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.6 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
Less than 0.1% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3,300 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
Less than 200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
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Ethnic groups: |
mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
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Religions: |
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented |
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Languages: |
Spanish |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2002 census) |
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People - note: |
illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border |