Cuban Government Reveals Average Monthly Salary Equivalent to Just $16 in Informal Exchange

This past Friday, Cuba's National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) disclosed that the average monthly salary in the country for 2024 was 5,839 Cuban pesos (CUP). This amount is woefully inadequate for surviving the severe economic crisis currently afflicting the population. According to ONEI's official Facebook profile, Havana boasted the highest average salary in the nation, totaling 6,449 pesos per month, whereas Santiago de Cuba reported the lowest at a mere 5,123 pesos.

When considering the informal market exchange rate, which was updated on Friday by the platform elTOQUE and sets the rate at 363 CUP per 1 USD, the average monthly salary of 5,839 CUP translates to just 16 USD. Even using the official CADECA rate, which was also updated on Friday and stands at 109 CUP per 1 USD, the average income only reaches 53 USD per month, both figures significantly below what is necessary to meet basic needs.

Regional Salary Disparities

Data from ONEI highlights the stark variation in average monthly salaries across different provinces. Havana leads with an average of 6,449 CUP, followed by Artemisa at 6,046 CUP, and Holguín at 5,927 CUP. Other provinces like Ciego de Ávila (5,867 CUP), Cienfuegos (5,690 CUP), Sancti Spíritus (5,676 CUP), Pinar del Río (5,673 CUP), and Villa Clara (5,665 CUP) surpassed the national average.

Camagüey (5,564 CUP), Matanzas (5,493 CUP), and Las Tunas (5,310 CUP) fall in the middle range, with Isla de la Juventud (5,285 CUP), Mayabeque (5,266 CUP), and Guantánamo (5,258 CUP) trailing behind. The lowest figures were recorded in Granma (5,263 CUP) and Santiago de Cuba, which bottoms out at 5,123 CUP, the lowest nationwide and significantly beneath the national average.

Public Outcry on Social Media

Cuban social media platforms are awash with accounts and complaints highlighting the drastic erosion of purchasing power on the island, particularly following the revelation that the average monthly salary barely equates to 16 dollars in the informal exchange market. One poignant story features a Cuban teacher who, with her salary of 4,400 pesos, managed only to purchase detergent, two bars of soap, toothpaste, and a few other essential items, falling short of buying any food.

This issue isn't isolated. Another viral post illustrates what a doctor's salary can buy: a pound of pork, a carton of eggs, and a small amount of rice and beans, underscoring the irony of highly qualified professionals struggling to exist in survival mode. Similarly, a teacher from Havana shared a moving testimony about how her monthly wage barely covers hygiene products or a minimal amount of food, excluding essentials like transportation or clothing.