Demography and the place of women in Cuban society
Cuban population growth was slightly down in 2022, with a rate of -0.21%. This is explained on the one hand by the aging of the population, the passage of covid-19 in the Cuban ranks; on the other hand by the decline in fertility (fertility rate in 2022: 1.71), which does not allow the renewal of generations. In 2022, the birth rate was 10.11 ‰ when the death rate was 9.29 ‰. This demographic dynamic is close to the trends that can be observed in developed countries. In fact, Cuba boasts a lower infant mortality rate (4.13 ‰) than the United States (5.17 ‰). In a very recent reversal of the trend, life expectancy, on the other hand, is longer in the United States than in Cuba: an inhabitant of Cuba lives an average of 79.6 years compared to 80.59 years in the United States. It should also be noted that the average age of the Cuban population is 42.1 years (2022).
Although the ethnic composition of Cuba is quite varied - 51% mixed race, 37% white, 11% black, 1% Asian - the country's literacy rate is exemplary: 100%! Who can beat that? The regime's continuous efforts in education since the 1960s have paid off, making Cuba a global model for the education system. In 2019, the world ranking by human development index, published annually by the UN, placed Cuba in 70th place out of 189 countries, with an HDI of 0.783. It is also worth noting the importance of the place of women in Cuban society.
Even though there is no law governing gender parity in political representation, thanks to the revolution, Cuba has managed to reach the world podium: in 2013, the island had the third highest percentage of female deputies. They are even the majority since 2018: the female share of the Cuban parliament is 53.22%, making Cuba the second country in the world, after Rwanda, in terms of female political participation. In addition, women represent 40% of the working population, not far from 70% of science graduates, 33% of science and technology graduates and 63% of graduates in education. Although Cuban women are united in the Federación de Mujeres Cubanas, FMC (Federation of Cuban Women), machismo continues to have a strong hold on Cuban society. Also, in spite of a very important mixing of the population and a legislative framework ensuring the equality of all, racism is still prevalent. Thus, a black man in a couple with a white woman, or vice versa, tends to be badly perceived within Cuban society.
Migration history of Cuba
At the time of the arrival of Christopher Columbus and the conquistadores, the indigenous population of Cuba was estimated at some 100,000 individuals. They were then grouped into three groups: the Siboney, the Taino and the Caribbean. Quickly exploited and forced to work by the Spaniards, these populations were quickly decimated. Massacres of those who did not want to submit, ill-treatment and diseases imported by the men of the Old World were indeed the reason of the natives. By the end of the 16th century, the original inhabitants of Cuba had almost completely disappeared from the surface of the island.
To cope with this labor shortage, the colonists resorted to slavery, actively engaging in triangular trade. From the 17th century onwards, large numbers of Africans, mainly from the west coast of Africa, came to populate the fields of the Cuban countryside. As for the white population, they were mainly Spaniards from the poor regions of the country, namely Galicia, Extremadura, Andalusia, Asturias and the Canary Islands.
Finally, the Asian part of Cuba's population is explained by the massive arrival of Chinese in the 19th century, after the abolition of slavery. The island needed workers, especially for the construction of the railroad. It was in Havana, in Chinatown (more symbolic than actually populated by Chinese today) that this newly arrived population was concentrated
Let us note that since Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, more than one million Cubans have emigrated, mainly to the United States.
Cuban languages
In Cuba, Spanish is the official language. Unlike other islands in the Caribbean region, where dialects are usually quite numerous, in Cuba, 90% of the population speaks only Spanish - mixed with African or Amerindian contributions, as in the rest of Latin America -, giving the country a nice linguistic homogeneity. However, even if you master the language of Cervantes perfectly, Cubans will give you a hard time, at least for the first few days. They have a tendency to speak in a hurry while eating a lot of syllables and almost systematically forgetting to pronounce the "s". Don't panic, your Spanish will acclimatize very quickly and you'll find yourself chewing on words too. In addition to a very particular accent, the Cuban version of Spanish has developed into a very local slang. Thus, some expressions are often used: from Havana to Santiago, you will hear many times Que bola? (What's up? How are you doing?), often accompanied by the word Acere or Asere, a typically Cuban way of saying "my friend". The word guajiro (guajira in feminine) refers to peasants and other workers of the land, while Yuma is used to name foreigners, in a sort of Cuban version of the Mexican gringo , except that it does not refer only to North Americans but to all foreigners. For the rest, if you are a Spanish speaker, let yourself be surprised by the delicious expressions that will cross your path
Asfor the other languages spoken on the island, Chinese comes first, the Chinese diaspora being important, especially in Havana. More rarely, you will hear Portuguese and some Creole languages from neighboring islands being spoken here and there. Among the Cuban specificities, let's mention the existence of a "secret language". This is Lucumi, a language of Niger-Congolese origin commonly called Yoruba in Cuba. It is used for very specific purposes, within the framework of sacred rites linked to Santería, a religious syncretism born in Cuba, close to Brazilian Candomblé and Haitian voodoo. This language is much more a ritual language than an everyday language, like Latin in the Catholic religion.
