Cuban Census Shows Population Decline

December 04, 2012 13:10 PM

Cuban Census Shows Population Decline

HAVANA, Dec 4 (BERNAMA-NNN-XINHUA) -- Cuba's population declined by
about 84,000 in less than a year according to the latest census data,
confirming the warning that emigration and lower birth rate are cutting
the size of the island's population.

The National Population and Housing Census released Monday shows Cuba
has 11,163,934 inhabitants, compared with 11,247,925 reported last year,
Vice President of the Council of Ministers Marino Murillo was quoted by
the official daily Granma as saying.

The National Statistics Bureau in July warned of population decline due
to falling birth rates and the fact that some 38,000 Cubans emigrate
each year.

But the good news is that the population is almost evenly split along
the sex line, with women making up 50.09 percent and men 49.91 percent,
which "confirms the gender balance of the Cuban population," said Murillo.

Among the demographic data were figures on age, with those between 16
and 59 representing 63.3 percent of the total, those aged 60 or more,
18.3 percent, indicating the aging of Cuba's population, and those under
15, 18.4 percent.

Officials are still tabulating the results of the census, "reviewing,
coding and validating" the numbers, said Murillo, adding the final
report won't be out until June 2013.

-- BERNAMA-NNN-XINHUA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsindex.php?id=713709