Refugees by country of asylum in Cuba
Cuba: Refugees by country of asylum was 130 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Refugees by country of asylum in Cuba, 1974–2024
Source: UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, refugees by country of asylum in Cuba stood at 130 people. That is the lowest value across all 48 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and down 52.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, refugees by country of asylum in Cuba peaked at 5,092 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 130 people, in 2024.
That places Cuba 144th out of 183 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Refugees by country of asylum in Cuba, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 1,300 people | — |
| 1977 | 2,600 people | +100.0% |
| 1978 | 4,000 people | +53.8% |
| 1979 | 3,060 people | -23.5% |
| 1980 | 2,970 people | -2.9% |
| 1981 | 2,000 people | -32.7% |
| 1982 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 3,990 people | +99.5% |
| 1990 | 3,988 people | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 5,092 people | +27.7% |
| 1993 | 3,611 people | -29.1% |
| 1994 | 1,993 people | -44.8% |
| 1995 | 1,831 people | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 1,700 people | -7.2% |
| 1997 | 1,274 people | -25.1% |
| 1998 | 1,065 people | -16.4% |
| 1999 | 956 people | -10.2% |
| 2000 | 951 people | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 1,033 people | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 1,001 people | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 833 people | -16.8% |
| 2004 | 791 people | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 697 people | -11.9% |
| 2006 | 656 people | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 617 people | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 523 people | -15.2% |
| 2009 | 445 people | -14.9% |
| 2010 | 406 people | -8.8% |
| 2011 | 381 people | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 366 people | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 377 people | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 276 people | -26.8% |
| 2015 | 300 people | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 312 people | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 343 people | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 287 people | -16.3% |
| 2019 | 233 people | -18.8% |
| 2020 | 222 people | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 199 people | -10.4% |
| 2022 | 174 people | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 136 people | -21.8% |
| 2024 | 130 people | -4.4% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 130 people is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6,251 people, 2% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 130 people is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 166 people, 78% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Refugees by country of asylum in Cuba changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +100.0% | 1,300 people | 2,600 people |
| 1989 | +99.5% | 2,000 people | 3,990 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,740 people | 1,300 people | 4,000 people | 4 |
| 1980s | 2,296 people | 2,000 people | 3,990 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,390 people | 956 people | 5,092 people | 9 |
| 2000s | 754.7 people | 445 people | 1,033 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 328.1 people | 233 people | 406 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 172.2 people | 130 people | 222 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
More population data for Cuba
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.07 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.07 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.9101 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 10,028 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.2775 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9735 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.1% (2100)
- Population density 53.73 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 195,101 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is refugees by country of asylum in Cuba?
- Refugees by country of asylum in Cuba was 130 people in 2024, according to UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 5,092 people in 1992.
- What is the lowest refugees by country of asylum recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 130 people in 2024.
- How does Cuba rank for refugees by country of asylum?
- Cuba ranks 144th out of 183 countries with data for 2024.
- Is refugees by country of asylum rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cuba data come from?
- The figures come from UNHCR (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Refugees by country of asylum. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People who fled their country of origin and are in need of international protection. Refugees are those who have already been granted asylum status in the country they moved to. This includes all refugees who live in this country, not just those who arrived that year.