Uruguay’s migrant population grows for first time in a century

For the first time since mass European migration to the Americas at the turn of the 20th century, the number of foreigners living in Uruguay is on the rise, this time driven by a wave of arrivals from Venezuela and Cuba.
Foreign-born residents represented 3% of the 3.4 million Uruguayan population in 2023, up from 2% a decade ago, the country’s latest census data show. It is the first increase since 1908.
Political and economic turmoil in Venezuela and Cuba over the last decade has driven an exodus to South America and north towards the United States.
Uruguay’s relative economic stability, higher wages and job security, and vaunted public education system make it an attractive destination, migrants say, although the cost of living is high.
In capital Montevideo this month, volunteers at the annual Venezuelan community Christmas party were busy wrapping a record number of small gifts from “Papa Noel” to distribute to children.