Rural population growth (annual %) in Cuba
Cuba: Rural population growth (annual %) was -0.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Cuba, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population growth in Cuba is -0.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 20.7% on the previous year and down 215.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Cuba peaked at 1.6% in 1961 and was at its lowest, -2.1%, in 1978.
That places Cuba 149th out of 210 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Cuba, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.6% | — |
| 1962 | 1.6% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 1.6% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 1.5% | -2.4% |
| 1965 | 1.5% | -5.2% |
| 1966 | 1.4% | -7.4% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | -8.8% |
| 1968 | 1.1% | -8.1% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -5.9% |
| 1970 | 1.0% | -4.3% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | -30.9% |
| 1972 | 0.0% | -94.9% |
| 1973 | -0.6% | -1760.0% |
| 1974 | -1.1% | +87.9% |
| 1975 | -1.6% | +38.2% |
| 1976 | -1.9% | +20.9% |
| 1977 | -2.1% | +10.8% |
| 1978 | -2.1% | +2.8% |
| 1979 | -2.0% | -5.0% |
| 1980 | -1.7% | -14.5% |
| 1981 | -1.2% | -31.5% |
| 1982 | -1.3% | +10.7% |
| 1983 | -1.7% | +26.0% |
| 1984 | -1.1% | -34.8% |
| 1985 | -0.0% | -96.6% |
| 1986 | -0.9% | +2373.9% |
| 1987 | -1.1% | +24.7% |
| 1988 | -1.0% | -12.5% |
| 1989 | -1.2% | +17.6% |
| 1990 | -0.9% | -26.4% |
| 1991 | -0.8% | -7.4% |
| 1992 | -0.4% | -48.1% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | -147.1% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +85.5% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -81.5% |
| 1996 | -0.5% | -785.2% |
| 1997 | -0.8% | +75.4% |
| 1998 | -0.6% | -20.0% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | -107.6% |
| 2000 | -0.7% | -1543.3% |
| 2001 | -0.7% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -161.7% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -47.5% |
| 2004 | 0.0% | -84.0% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | -484.4% |
| 2006 | -0.3% | +115.9% |
| 2007 | -0.4% | +41.1% |
| 2008 | -0.5% | +15.1% |
| 2009 | -0.5% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | -0.5% | -7.8% |
| 2011 | -0.4% | -19.5% |
| 2012 | -0.3% | -24.9% |
| 2013 | -0.2% | -26.4% |
| 2014 | -0.2% | +8.9% |
| 2015 | -0.2% | -9.8% |
| 2016 | -0.3% | +26.6% |
| 2017 | -0.4% | +40.6% |
| 2018 | -0.4% | +15.0% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | +9.6% |
| 2020 | -0.4% | -16.1% |
| 2021 | -0.4% | +14.1% |
| 2022 | -0.6% | +32.9% |
| 2023 | -0.5% | -23.9% |
| 2024 | -0.5% | +20.4% |
| 2025 | -0.7% | +20.7% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's -0.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is -0.6%, 1.1× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- Cuba's -0.7% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is -0.2%, 3.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Cuba changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | -2373.9% | -0.0% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | -1760.0% | 0.0% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | -1543.3% | 0.0% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | -785.2% | 0.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | -484.4% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | -1.0% | -2.1% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.1% | -1.7% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.3% | -0.9% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.3% | -0.7% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.3% | -0.5% | -0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5% | -0.7% | -0.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
More agriculture & rural data for Cuba
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -19.64 % change on previous year (2020)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0276 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 265.29 current US$ per person (2020)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6522 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2020)
- Rural population, per capita 0.2277 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.2% (2024)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.5% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.4% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Cuba?
- Rural population growth in Cuba was -0.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.1% in 1978.
- How does Cuba rank for rural population growth?
- Cuba ranks 149th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 215.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cuba data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.