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The average monthly salary in Cuba reached 6,830 pesos at the end of November 2025, according to official data, an annual increase of 18%, but insufficient in the face of the sustained rise in prices that is suffocating workers and which the regime has been unable to control.
According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), the average salary in the business sector was 7,813 pesos, while in budgeted units —such as hospitals, schools, and state agencies— it was 5,799 pesos.
The construction sector continues to lead the list of the highest-paying activities, with an average of 13,990 pesos per month, followed by the supply of electricity, gas, and water at 12,772 pesos, and business services, real estate activities, and rental services at 9,658 pesos.
They also reported income above the national average in mining and quarrying (8,929 pesos), transportation and communications (8,732 pesos), financial intermediation (7,829 pesos), non-sugar manufacturing (7,794 pesos), and science and technological innovation (7,063 pesos).
Below the average were essential sectors such as public health and social assistance (6,562 pesos), education (5,495 pesos), and public administration, defense, and social security (5,710 pesos).
Paradoxically, it is precisely the workers who sustain the hospitals, schools, and basic services of the country who receive the lowest salaries in the state system.
Doctors, teachers, and public employees continue to receive salaries that barely cover the monthly basic basket, while the government insists on talking about "economic recovery."
Workers in culture and sports (5,063 pesos) and those in commerce and personal effects repair (4,656 pesos) continue to be among the lowest paid in the country.
ONEI reported that construction exhibited the highest year-on-year variation, with a growth of 172%, followed by business services at 142%.
However, these nominal increases do not reflect an improvement in real purchasing power, as the prices of food, transportation, and energy have surged in recent months.
While the Cuban government presents the figures as a sign of recovery in employment and production, the reality is that the Cuban peso continues to depreciate in the informal market, and the gap between salaries and the cost of living widens every month.
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