STORY: This bustling street market in Havana, drawing vendors and shoppers alike, underscores a milestone for Cuba.New government data shows that, for the first time, the communist country's private sector last year overtook the public sector in retail sales.

Cuba's private sector has surpassed the state in retail sales for the first time since the 1959 revolution, accounting for 55% of sales in 2024. The shift follows economic challenges post-Soviet Union collapse.