Private Story
Cuba - Ten dollar pension
The mean life expectancy in Cuba of 78.89 is remarkable. This is almost equal to the life expectancy of 78.93 in the US (Source: United Nations, 2020). According to Cuba's pension system, the retirement age is 60 years for women and 65 years for men. Because salaries are extremely low, the pension is often less than the equivalent of $10 (240 pesos Cubano) per month after more than 30 years of employment. The dual economy on the tropical island requires Cubans to be inventive to survive. In order to buy the products that cannot be bought in peso Cubano and that are not included in the "libreta", the subsidized communist food booklet, Cuban elderly must find an additional income. Preferably in the peso convertible (CUC), which is equivalent to the dollar and is worth 24x more than the peso Cubano; and with which many products have to be paid for. In several cities in Cuba I photographed retired elderly people working in the informal economy.