Census: Cuban population aging, shrinking

The Cuban population fell in the past decade while the number of the elderly is increasing, according to the result of a national census released Friday. More than 18 percent of the population is over the age of 60 now, 4 percentage higher than a decade ago, the Housing and Population Census taken in September 2012 indicated. The average age of the population rose to 38.8 years in 2012 from 35.1. The population has decreased by some 10,418 people to 11,167,325 in 2012from ten years ago, the sensus showed. "The results are an initial preview of the information contained in the census to be published gradually by the National Statistics Bureau," said Juan Carlos Alfonso, director of the bureau. In capital Havana, where the female population exceeds the male at a ratio of 995 men per thousand women, continues to be the most populated province, with 2,106,146 inhabitants.