Cuba Seniors Face Crisis as US Blockade Impacts Services
Cuba has become the fastest-aging nation in Latin America as a mass exodus of youth and plummeting birthrates leave over a quarter of the population over age 60. Recent US fuel sanctions and inflation have reduced average pensions to seven dollars monthly, leaving many seniors without access to food or medicine.
Cuba is struggling to provide basic services to its aging population as pensions have plummeted to $7 a month. A United States move in late January to restrict fuel supplies has accelerated a fiscal crisis and eroded state subsidies. The collapse of the social safety net threatens more than a quarter of the population in the fastest-aging nation in Latin America.
### Shrinking Pensions and Rising Hunger The Cuban peso has lost about a third of its value against the dollar since the start of the recent blockade, eroding the purchasing power of retirees. Government statistics show that more than 25% of the population is now over 60, a demographic shift driven by a 10% decline in the total population since 2021. Cuba has appealed to the United Nations World Food Programme for aid to maintain twice-daily meal rations for the elderly.
