The Cuban state economy continued to deteriorate in the first five months of 2026.
The most recent bulletin Selected Indicators of the Business and Budgetary System, published by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), shows a simultaneous decline in sales, profits, production, efficiency, and employment, in addition to a sharp increase in the number of companies operating at a loss.
The official figures pertain to the period between January and May of this year and provide one of the most comprehensive overviews of the situation within the state business system.
One of the most striking facts is the plunge in net sales of goods and services, which went from 650.311 million pesos in the first five months of 2025 to 460.578 million in the same period of 2026.
The reduction amounts to 189.733 million pesos, equivalent to 29.2%.
The profits before taxes followed the same trend. Between January and May, they fell from 97.628 million to 66.922 million pesos, a decline of 30.705 million, equivalent to 31.5%.
Production is also declining, and efficiency is worsening
The deterioration is not limited to financial results.
The production of goods and services decreased from 474.777 million to 420.503 million pesos, representing a reduction of 11.4% compared to the same period last year.
Within the business system, the decline was even greater. Production fell from 397,837 million to 342,087 million pesos, a decrease of nearly 14%.
Efficiency also declined.
The value-added indicator concerning production dropped from 50.2% to 45.9%, while in companies it fell from 49.7% to 45%, reflecting that the system generates less wealth for every peso produced.
The number of companies with losses is increasing
The report accounts for 399 business entities with losses, compared to 279 recorded in the same period of 2025.
The increase is of 120 companies, equivalent to 43%. Compared to the previous month, the figure rose by 23 entities. In the specific case of state-owned companies, the entities reporting losses rose from 252 to 363 in a year.
Havana has the highest number of unprofitable companies, with 69, followed by Matanzas and Granma, each with 33.
Villa Clara and Camagüey report 32 companies with losses; Holguín and Santiago de Cuba have 26; while the Isle of Youth shows the smallest number, with three.
Many companies barely make a profit
Although the ONEI reports 1,770 entities with profits, the data themselves reflect a very uneven profitability.
More than half of those companies, 944, reported earnings of less than five million pesos during the analyzed period.
At the opposite end, only one company surpassed 5 billion pesos in profits, and it does not belong to the state sector.
Additionally, 603 entities, accounting for 21.7% of the total, are listed in the report as unclassified, and their economic results are still not officially known.
Employment is also declining
The report also reflects a decrease in employment.
The business and budgeted system decreased from 2,280,610 workers in May 2025 to 2,138,454 in the same month this year. This is 142,156 fewer workers.
In companies, the workforce decreased from 1,202,814 to 1,107,707 employees, a reduction of nearly 95,000 people.
Although the average monthly corporate salary increased to 8,125 pesos, productivity exhibited an opposite trend during the period.
A report that coincides with the restructuring of the sector
The publication of the bulletin comes just a few weeks after the government announced a comprehensive process of transformation for the state business system, which includes the possibility of liquidating companies with sustained losses, merging deficit entities, and allowing private capital participation in certain commercial companies.
Although the ONEI is limited to presenting statistical data, the decline reflected in its main indicators coincides with the moment when the authorities acknowledge the need to reform the operation of state enterprises.
Beyond the increase in entities operating at a loss, the report reflects a negative trend in nearly all major indicators of the business system: decreased sales, lower profits, a drop in production, reduced efficiency, and a significant reduction in employment.
Together, this data provides a snapshot of the complex economic landscape facing the Cuban state sector in 2026.
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