Cuba has approximately 11.3 million inhabitants and is the most populous island nation in the Caribbean. Havana is its largest city with over 2 million and the country's capital. Other important cities are Santiago de Cuba (420 000), Camagüey (300 000), Holguín (230 000), and Santa Clara (200 000).
Approximately 75.8% of the population lives in urban areas.
Cuba is a multiracial society with a population of mainly Spanish and African origins. Officially the present population is 66% white, 12% black, and 22% mulatto.
The life expectancy at birth is 77.45 years (male: 75.19 years and female: 79.85 years).
In recent years, population growth has slowed significantly. Cuba’s population replacement rate has not been guaranteed since 1978. In 1975, the number of children born per woman was only 1.5. Approximately 79% of deaths occur among the population aged 60 and older.
The population of Cuba is one of the four oldest in Latin America and the Caribbean (12.7% of the population is 60 years old or more), and projections for the years 2000 and 2025 are that this proportion will increase to 14% and 21%, respectively.
Spanish is the official language of Cuba and is spoken throughout the Island.