MigrantoCuban Diaspora
1.9M Cubans live abroad — 17% of the population of Cuba
Cuban diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 90% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 1394750 |
| Spain | 215409 |
| Mexico | 72440 |
| Italy | 41658 |
| Canada | 23859 |
| Brazil | 23151 |
| Chile | 17467 |
| Ecuador | 11964 |
| Puerto Rico | 11420 |
| Venezuela | 10274 |
| Costa Rica | 8336 |
| Peru | 6676 |
| Argentina | 4007 |
| Dominican Republic | 3669 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 3471 |
| Panama | 3347 |
| Colombia | 3164 |
| Bolivia | 2201 |
| Portugal | 2090 |
| Jamaica | 1854 |
| Guinea | 1657 |
| Russia | 1513 |
| Haiti | 1229 |
| Norway | 1226 |
| Nicaragua | 1021 |
| Australia | 1008 |
| Cayman Islands | 922 |
| Sint Maarten | 913 |
| Guatemala | 779 |
| Namibia | 753 |
| Hungary | 729 |
| Denmark | 663 |
| Finland | 649 |
| Honduras | 635 |
| China | 587 |
| Republic of Congo | 528 |
| South Africa | 455 |
| Bahamas | 454 |
| Bulgaria | 414 |
| Greece | 379 |
| Curaçao | 379 |
| Poland | 259 |
| Luxembourg | 208 |
| Slovakia | 166 |
| El Salvador | 131 |
| Slovenia | 108 |
| Iceland | 97 |
| Cape Verde | 93 |
| Saint Lucia | 77 |
| Barbados | 58 |
| Seychelles | 43 |
| Belarus | 42 |
| Latvia | 42 |
| Cyprus | 36 |
| Estonia | 33 |
| East Timor | 27 |
| Bermuda | 25 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 20 |
| Lithuania | 15 |
| Georgia | 11 |
| Liechtenstein | 11 |
| Dominica | 11 |
By region
75% of the diaspora lives in North America
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Key facts
The Cuban diaspora in numbers
The community in Mexico is growing fastest
The number of Cubans living in Mexico has grown 297% since 2015, from 18.2K to 72.4K.
Most Cubans abroad live in the USA
74% of the diaspora lives in the USA, while the next country accounts for just 11%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
7 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Chile, Ecuador, Peru. Chile climbed from outside the top 20 to #7.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 89% to 74%.
1 in 6 people born in Cuba lives abroad
1.9M people born in Cuba now live in other countries — 17.1% of a population of 11M.
The share of the diaspora living in North America has declined since 1990
88.9% of the diaspora lived in North America in 1990, compared with 75.5% today.
Cuban diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 839585 |
| 1995 | 917722 |
| 2000 | 1032762 |
| 2005 | 1093555 |
| 2010 | 1337631 |
| 2015 | 1519397 |
| 2020 | 1721822 |
| 2024 | 1879613 |
Largest communities over time
Cubans living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | USA | Spain | Mexico | Italy | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 745191 | 22776 | 4846 | 3030 | 1591 |
| 1995 | 809406 | 32592 | 5741 | 5039 | 2731 |
| 2000 | 900766 | 46180 | 6824 | 8151 | 4517 |
| 2005 | 918694 | 73799 | 9127 | 15373 | 8349 |
| 2010 | 1102190 | 106017 | 12233 | 25327 | 13001 |
| 2015 | 1237236 | 129263 | 18227 | 32716 | 18001 |
| 2020 | 1346576 | 164108 | 35125 | 38504 | 19420 |
| 2024 | 1394750 | 215409 | 72440 | 41658 | 23859 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Cubans in each country has changed since the selected year
Cubans among immigrants in other countries
Where Cubans make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Cubans live outside Cuba?
Around 1.9M Cubans live abroad, the world's #44 largest diaspora.
Where do most Cubans abroad live?
Most Cubans live in USA, Spain and Mexico — these three countries account for about 90% of all Cubans living abroad.
Which country has the largest Cuban population outside Cuba?
USA is home to the largest Cuban community abroad — 1.4M people, about 74% of all Cubans living abroad.
What share of the population of Cuba lives abroad?
About 17% of the population of Cuba lives abroad — that's 1.9M out of a total population of 11M.
Is the Cuban diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Cubans living abroad has grown from 1.5M to 1.9M, about 24%.
Where does the data on the Cuban diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Cuba who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Cuba
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