Cuba's crisis: 2 million flee and infant mortality triples
Since 2021, Cuba has lost 2 million residents to emigration. Infant mortality nearly tripled. A collapse that goes far beyond Trump's policies.
Cuba is facing what experts describe as one of the worst social and economic catastrophes since the 1959 Revolution. And while President Trump’s sanctions have accelerated the collapse, the crisis has much deeper roots.
Two Million Cubans Have Voted With Their Feet
Since 2021, an estimated 2 million Cubans have left the island — an unprecedented population drain. The exodus has left hospitals understaffed, schools without teachers, and families torn apart on both sides of the Florida Strait.
Infant Mortality Spikes
Cuba historically boasted 5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. By late 2025, that figure had climbed to 14 per 1,000 — nearly triple. Behind that number are babies dying from lack of medicines and hospitals without reliable electricity.
Forgotten Diseases Return
Dengue, chikungunya, and Oropuche virus are surging. The reason: Havana’s municipal waste collection system collapsed in 2025, creating perfect mosquito breeding grounds. Inflation exceeds 15% and the Cuban peso continues to lose value.
Beyond Trump
It would be convenient to blame everything on Washington, but honest analysis reveals a more complex reality. The crisis is rooted in decades of a state economic model unable to adapt, the collapse of Venezuelan support since 2016, and the impact of COVID-19.
Trump’s sanctions are the trigger. But the gunpowder has been accumulating for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many Cubans have emigrated since 2021?
- An estimated 2 million Cubans have left the country since 2021, one of the most dramatic emigration waves in recent Latin American history.
- How has infant mortality changed in Cuba?
- Cuba's infant mortality rate rose from 5 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021 to 14 per 1,000 by late 2025 — nearly tripling the previous level.
- Is Cuba's crisis solely the result of Trump's sanctions?
- Not entirely. While Trump's energy blockade worsened conditions, the crisis has deeper roots: decades of an inefficient state economic model and the collapse of Venezuelan support since 2016.
- What diseases have returned to Cuba due to the crisis?
- Dengue, chikungunya, and Oropuche virus are surging because Havana's municipal waste collection system collapsed in 2025, creating mosquito breeding grounds across the city.
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