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The Cuban government estimated an economic growth of 1% in Gross Domestic Product for this year, despite the fact that the economy is experiencing one of the worst crises in its recent history.
The Economic and Social Program of the Government 2026, published today this Thursday, acknowledges the worst crisis the island has faced in decades; nevertheless, it forecasts a slight economic growth despite key sectors like tourism being stalled and the estimates from independent organizations projecting a contraction of up to 7.2%.
The program, presented as the compass and roadmap to revitalize the economy, is structured around 10 general objectives, 111 specific objectives, 505 actions, and 309 indicators and targets.
Organizations such as the Center for the Study of the Cuban Economy had warned about the depth of the crisis.
One of them forecasted a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 7.2% for 2026, while another estimated that the economy contracted by 5% in 2025.
Among the factors that most impacted the population during the past year were the power outages of up to 25 and 30 hours daily that affected 63% and 64% of Cubans during the worst moments of the energy crisis.
In fiscal matters, the program also faces a challenging landscape. The approved budget includes a fiscal deficit of 74.5 billion Cuban pesos, a figure that, nevertheless, represents a improvement compared to the projected deficit of 88.5 billion in 2025.
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