Cuba unveils sweeping economic and social reform package

In June 2026 the Cuban government approved a comprehensive package of 176 economic and social measures, grouped into 23 thematic areas. The reforms aim to counter the effects of an intensified U.S. economic blockade, a six‑month fuel shortage and a reported 15 % loss of GDP since 2020. Key actions include raising the statutory minimum wage from 2 100 to 3 210 Cuban pesos, overhauling the pension system, expanding social security, and introducing new labour‑rights provisions. The government also plans to attract foreign investment while emphasizing that the reforms do not alter the country's socialist system.

Vice‑premier Eduardo Martínez highlighted Cuba’s longstanding social achievements – a health network of over 10 000 institutions, a drop in infant mortality to 9.3 per 1 000 live births, and the eradication of mother‑to‑child HIV transmission – while warning that the blockade has worsened indicators such as surgical waiting lists and medicine shortages. President Miguel Díaz‑Canel acknowledged the package’s “contradictions and risks” and said its rapid implementation is driven by the urgent need to restore energy supplies and stabilize the economy.

The reforms are presented as a means to boost productive forces, increase material wealth and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources without changing Cuba’s political system.