Quick facts
Santiago de Cuba overview
Santiago de Cuba (orange) and the other large cities of Cuba
Santiago de Cuba lies in Santiago de Cuba Province in Cuba at 20.02°N, 75.82°W, about 33 m above sea level. The local time zone is America/Havana (UTC-4); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Havana (2,163,824) and larger than Camagüey (347,562). The largest city in Cuba is Havana with 2,163,824 people; the capital, Havana, has 2,163,824.
The national capital, Havana, is about 761 km away; the nearest large city is Guantánamo, 65 km from Santiago de Cuba.
Cuba as a whole has a live population of 10,879,547 (-0.4% a year) and ranks #88 of 238 countries — see the Cuba population page for the full statistics and the Cuba atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Santiago de Cuba
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Guantánamo Guantánamo Province | 65 km | 272,801 |
| Bayamo Granma Province | 94 km | 192,632 |
| Holguín Holguín Province | 107 km | 319,102 |
| Moa Holguín Province | 115 km | 92,852 |
| Bartolomé Masó Granma Province | 118 km | 53,024 |
| Manzanillo Granma Province | 140 km | 128,188 |
| Baracoa Guantánamo Province | 143 km | 48,362 |
| Las Tunas Las Tunas Province | 157 km | 203,684 |
Largest cities in Cuba
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HavanaCapital | Havana | 2,163,824 |
| 2 | Santiago de Cuba | Santiago de Cuba Province | 555,865 |
| 3 | Camagüey | Camagüey | 347,562 |
| 4 | Holguín | Holguín Province | 319,102 |
| 5 | Guantánamo | Guantánamo Province | 272,801 |
| 6 | Santa Clara | Villa Clara Province | 250,512 |
| 7 | Las Tunas | Las Tunas Province | 203,684 |
| 8 | Bayamo | Granma Province | 192,632 |
| 9 | Pinar del Río | Pinar del Río | 186,990 |
| 10 | Cienfuegos | Cienfuegos Province | 186,644 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Santiago de Cuba?
Santiago de Cuba has about 555,865 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Santiago de Cuba the capital of Cuba?
No. The capital of Cuba is Havana (2,163,824 people), about 761 km away. Santiago de Cuba is the 2nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Santiago de Cuba compared with the rest of Cuba?
Its 555,865 residents are 5.1% of the 10,879,547 people living in Cuba today. Havana is larger with 2,163,824 people.
Where is Santiago de Cuba?
In Santiago de Cuba Province, Cuba, at latitude 20.02 and longitude -75.82, 33 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Guantánamo (65 km), Bayamo (94 km), Holguín (107 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Santiago de Cuba Population 2026 — Cuba. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/cuba/santiago-de-cuba/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/cuba/santiago-de-cuba/">Santiago de Cuba Population 2026 — Cuba</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.