Cuba (Republic of Cuba)

https://www.humantruth.info/cuba.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2013

Cuba Republic of Cuba
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	103rd best
Capital	Havana
Land Area	106 440km²₁
Location	North America, The Americas, The Caribbean
Population	11.3m₂
Life Expectancy	73.68yrs (2017)₃
GNI	$7 879 (2017)₄
ISO3166-1 Codes	CU, CUB, 192₅
Internet Domain	.cu₆
Currency	Peso (CUP)₇
Telephone	+53₈

1. Overview

“The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source if its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the US's southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard interdicted 1,275 Cuban nationals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2012.”
CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Trapped in a time-warp, Cuba is like a prince in a poor man´s coat. Behind the sometimes shabby facades of communist but culturally rich Cuba, gold dust lingers. Cuba is a country with no historical precedents: economically poor, but culturally rich; visibly mildewed, but architecturally magnificent; infuriating, yet at the same time, strangely uplifting.
Halfway between the US in the north and Latin America in the south, Cuba has long struggled to work out where it fits in. Yet, as a former Spanish colony liberally colored with French, African, American, Jamaican, and indigenous Taíno influences, there´s no denying the breadth of its historical heritage. When Castro pressed the pause button on economic development in the 1960s, he inadvertently saved many endangered traditions and important historical heirlooms.
It is the Cubans themselves who have kept the country alive as the infrastructure crumbled: survivors and improvisers, poets and dreamers, cynics and sages. It is also they who have ensured that Cuba continues to be the fascinating, perplexing, paradoxical nation it is.”
"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Cuba National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better Value₁₁
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
80=	Moldova	0.767
80=	Palau	0.767
80=	Dominican Rep.	0.767
83	Cuba	0.764
84	Peru	0.762
85	Armenia	0.759
86	Mexico	0.758
87	Brazil	0.754
	The Americas Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)₁₁
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $₁₁
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
118	El Salvador	$8 296
119	Bolivia	$8 111
120	Uzbekistan	$7 917
121	Cuba	$7 879
122	Vietnam	$7 867
123	Laos	$7 700
124	Swaziland	$7 679
125	Morocco	$7 303
	The Americas Avg	$16 628
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
100	Jordan	88.8
101	Maldives	88.9
102	St Lucia	89.3
103	Cuba	89.5
104	Nepal	90.0
105	Belize	90.1
106	Kazakhstan	90.7
107	Bahrain	91.1
	The Americas Avg	81.5
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Cuba's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Cuba's population is predicted to fall to 10 983 000 by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 1.45. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population₂
Pos.		2018 Population₂
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
77	Benin	11.5m
78	Belgium	11.5m
79	Bolivia	11.4m
80	Cuba	11.3m
81	Burundi	11.2m
82	Haiti	11.1m
83	S. Sudan	11.0m
84	Czechia	10.7m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
73	Nicaragua	73.8
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
94	Channel Islands	1.47
95	Germany	1.46
96	Guam	2.55
97	Cuba	1.45
98	UAE	1.44
99	Oman	2.57
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better₁₅
Pos.		2016 Per 100₁₅
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
156	Barbados	35.6
157	Lithuania	36.0
158	Czechia	36.1
159	Cuba	36.2
160	Poland	36.3
161	Singapore	36.5
162	Latvia	36.7
163=	Sweden	37.0
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Migration:

Immigrants₁₆
Pos.		2017 %₁₆
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
188	N. Korea	0.2%
189	Sri Lanka	0.2%
190	Myanmar (Burma)	0.1%
191	Madagascar	0.1%
192	Indonesia	0.1%
193	Cuba	0.1%
194	Vietnam	0.1%
195	China	0.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants₁₇
Pos.		2010 %₁₇
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
57	Jordan	11.3%
58	Kyrgyzstan	11.2%
59	Tajikistan	11.2%
60	Cuba	10.9%
61	Mauritius	10.9%
62	Greece	10.8%
63	Mexico	10.7%
64	Andorra	10.7%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#cuba #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #press_freedom #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₈
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₈
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
154	Niger	117.3
155	Rwanda	117.3
156	Egypt	118.4
157	Cuba	119.1
158	Liberia	119.5
159	Algeria	119.6
	The Americas Avg	71.80
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

When it comes to press and media freedom, Cuba is one of the worst 5 countries in the world₁₉; it's one of those countries where 'compliance with international human rights standards would mean removal of those in power'₂₀. .

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

Human Rights and Freedom in Cuba

5. Cuba's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #cuba #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁
1	Greenland	34.3
2	Curaço	49.7
3	Aruba	49.9
	...
10=	Puerto Rico	70.9
11	Barbados	71.0
12	Turks & Caicos Islands	74.3
13	Cuba	75.7
14	Chile	75.8
15	Uruguay	76.4
16	Grenada	77.9
17	British Virgin Islands	78.7
18	Trinidad & Tobago	79.4
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=44.

Health (2025)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₁
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
72	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.0
73=	Lithuania	75.5
73=	Armenia	75.5
75	Cuba	75.7
76	Chile	75.8
77	Georgia	75.9
78	Latvia	76.0
79	Uruguay	76.4
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₂₂. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₂₂.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₂₂, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₂₂.

For more, see:

"Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Cuba has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Cuba comes in the best 20 for its immunizations take-up₂₃ (one of the highest in The Americas). It does better than average in its average life expectancy₁₁, its alcohol consumption rate₂₄ and in its fertility rate₁₄ (but high for The Americas). But, things still need to improve in Cuba. Cuba does worse than average in its suicide rate₂₅ (one of the highest in The Americas), its adolescent birth rate₂₆ and in its smoking rate₂₇ (the highest in The Americas). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Cuba improved by +3.6yrs in the 30 years from 1990, less than the global average of +7.9yrs. Cuba's peak fertility rate was 4.56 in 1963.

Life Expectancy Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2021 Years₁₁
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
73	Nicaragua	73.8
74	Tunisia	73.8
75	Lithuania	73.7
76	Cuba	73.7
77	Ecuador	73.7
78	Vietnam	73.6
79	Latvia	73.6
80	Mauritius	73.6
	The Americas Avg	72.58
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better₂₄
Pos.		2016 Per Capita₂₄
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
90=	Haiti	5.8
90=	Colombia	5.8
92	Nauru	6.0
93	Cuba	6.1
94	Kyrgyzstan	6.2
95=	Guyana	6.3
95=	Peru	6.3
97	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.4
	The Americas Avg	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best₁₄
Pos.		2022₁₄
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
94	Channel Islands	1.47
95	Germany	1.46
96	Guam	2.55
97	Cuba	1.45
98	UAE	1.44
99	Oman	2.57
100=	Greece	1.43
100=	Portugal	1.43
	The Americas Avg	1.80
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better₂₇
Pos.		2014₂₇
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
142	Argentina	1 359
143	Denmark	1 378
144	Georgia	1 378
145	Cuba	1 392
146	Saudi Arabia	1 395
147	Netherlands	1 396
148	Poland	1 396
149	Italy	1 443
	The Americas Avg	457
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate₂₅
Pos.		2013 Per 100k₂₅
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
59	Norway	23.8
60=	Denmark	23.9
60=	Germany	23.9
62	Cuba	24.5
63=	Romania	24.5
64	Bulgaria	25
65	Sweden	25.5
66	Slovakia	25.7
	The Americas Avg	13.57
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Overweight Adults Lower is better₂₈
Pos.		2016 %₂₈
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
123=	Norway	58.3
123=	Poland	58.3
125	Ukraine	58.4
126=	Cuba	58.5
126=	Italy	58.5
128	Luxembourg	58.7
129	Panama	58.8
130	Suriname	58.9
	The Americas Avg	57.4
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better₂₆
Pos.		2022 Per 1000₂₆
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
119	St Vincent & Grenadines	46.5
120	Philippines	48.1
121	Botswana	48.3
122	Cuba	48.9
123	Haiti	51.8
124	Seychelles	52.1
125	Yemen	52.5
126	Burundi	52.6
	The Americas Avg	48.1
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better₂₃
Pos.		2015 Avg %₂₃
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
15=	Luxembourg	98.0
15=	Oman	98.0
17	Antigua & Barbuda	98.0
18	Cuba	97.9
19	Belgium	97.8
20	Thailand	97.8
21=	Mauritius	97.6
21=	Fiji	97.6
	The Americas Avg	91.3
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Cuba's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #cuba #deforestation #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to The Americas (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Uruguay	43.2
2	Puerto Rico	47.1
3	Costa Rica	49.7
	...
12	Colombia	70.9
13	Argentina	78.5
14	Dominica	78.5
15	Cuba	79.4
16	Nicaragua	80.5
17	Bolivia	81.8
18	Panama	82.5
19	Honduras	84.6
20	Venezuela	86.1
	The Americas Avg	92.66
q=36.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)₂₉
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₂₉
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
87	Argentina	78.5
88	Dominica	78.5
89	Iran	79.0
90	Cuba	79.4
91	Algeria	79.7
92	Nicaragua	80.5
93	Slovakia	80.8
94	Poland	81.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

" Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Cuba ranks 90th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 5 data sets. Cuba comes in the best 20 in its forested percent change 2000-2020₃₀. It does better than average when it comes to its environmental performance₃₁ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₃₂. Cuba does not succeed in everything, however. Cuba does worse than average for energy to GDP efficiency₃₃ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better₃₀
Pos.		Total₃₀
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
4	Burundi	44.2%
5	Uruguay	43.8%
6	Montenegro	32.1%
7	Malta	31.4%
8	Cuba	31.0%
9	Kuwait	28.9%
10	Uzbekistan	23.3%
11	Algeria	23.1%
12	China	23.0%
	The Americas Avg	-2.1%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

From 2000 to 2010, Cuba restored its forest cover by 20%, from 2435 thousand hectares to 2932 thousand. By 2020, it added a further 11%, setting an important example for the rest of the world.

Environmental Performance Higher is better₃₁
Pos.		2018₃₁
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
52	Russia	63.8
53	Brunei	63.6
54	Morocco	63.5
55	Cuba	63.4
56	Panama	62.7
57	Tonga	62.5
58	Tunisia	62.4
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
	The Americas Avg	58.8
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better₃₃
Pos.		2022 Avg₃₃
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
108	Mauritania	1.24
109	Iraq	1.24
110	Australia	1.25
111	Cuba	1.25
112	Thailand	1.26
113	Slovakia	1.26
114	Sweden	1.30
115	USA	1.36
	The Americas Avg	1.42
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
109	Slovenia	56%
110	S. Korea	56%
111	Sudan	56%
112	Cuba	55%
113	Israel	55%
114	Vietnam	55%
115	Malta	55%
116	Rwanda	55%
	The Americas Avg	60.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Meat Consumption Lower is better₃₂
Pos.		2021 kg₃₂
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
85	Chad	47.1
86	Oman	48.0
87	Ukraine	48.5
88	Cuba	49.6
89	Libya	50.0
90	Ecuador	50.9
91	Albania	52.0
92	Kiribati	52.4
	The Americas Avg	70.3
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, Cuba increased its meat consumption by over 20kgs per person per year, one of only 11 countries to do so, and putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₃₂

7. Cuba's Modernity and Learning

#burundi #corruption #cuba #education #health #human_development #inequality #intelligence #life_expectancy #modernity #peace #politics #research #science #technology #the_internet

Compared to The Americas (2020)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₄
1=	Canada	21.8
2	USA	26.4
3	Argentina	38.2
	...
10	Mexico	64.5
11	Peru	68.2
12	Costa Rica	69.8
13	Cuba	72.8
14	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
15	Ecuador	74.8
16	Colombia	77.3
17	Bolivia	79.5
18=	Antigua & Barbuda	79.6
	The Americas Avg	81.34
q=35.

Modernity & Learning (2020)₃₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₃₄
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
69	Tunisia	70.8
70	China	71.4
71	Fiji	71.5
72	Cuba	72.8
73	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5
74	Kuwait	74.7
75	Ecuador	74.8
76	Qatar	74.8
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₃₅. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₃₅. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₃₆.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”
Bill Emmott (2017)₃₇

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₃₅, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₃₅.

For more, see:

" Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

In the 2000s, Cuba increased its expected duration of education by almost 5 years, more than any other country in that decade except Burundi, and becoming the country with the world 7th-longest period of education, although in the 2010s, this dropped back down by two years. ₃₈

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.29₃₉
2	Israel	4.11₃₉
3	Japan	3.58₃₉
	...
61=	Cyprus	0.48₄₀
62	Costa Rica	0.47₄₁
63=	Qatar	0.47₄₂
63=	Cuba	0.47₄₀
65	Macedonia	0.44₄₀
66=	Puerto Rico	0.44₄₀
67	Jordan	0.43₄₃
68	Mozambique	0.42₄₄
	The Americas Avg	0.47
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better₄₅
Pos.		2018₄₅
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
47	Bahamas	88.4%
48	Ireland	88.3%
49	Netherlands	88.3%
50	Cuba	87.4%
51	Poland	85.3%
52	Belgium	84.8%
53	UK	84.5%
54	Jordan	84.0%
	The Americas Avg	63.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better₄₆
Pos.		2021 Years₄₆
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
73	Slovakia	14.5
74	Dominican Rep.	14.5
75	Albania	14.4
76	Cuba	14.4
77	Colombia	14.4
78	Moldova	14.4
79	Serbia	14.4
80	Luxembourg	14.4
	The Americas Avg	14.2
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

IQ Higher is better₄₇
Pos.		2006₄₇
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
72=	Yemen	85
72=	Trinidad & Tobago	85
72=	Peru	85
72=	Cuba	85
76	Venezuela	84
77=	Colombia	84
77=	Jordan	84
77=	Afghanistan	84
	The Americas Avg	85.3
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

“The government controls virtually all media outlets in Cuba and restricts access to outside information. A small number of [independent] journalists and bloggers... manage to write articles for websites or blogs, or publish tweets. The government routinely blocks access within Cuba to these websites and only a fraction of Cubans can read independent websites and blogs because of the high cost of, and limited access to, the internet. In September 2017, Cuba announced it would gradually extend the home internet service to all the provinces in the country.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₄₈

Internet Users Higher is better₄₉
Pos.		2016₄₉
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
127	India	35%
128	Kyrgyzstan	34%
129	Egypt	33%
130	Cuba	32%
131	Micronesia	31%
132	Vanuatu	31%
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
	The Americas Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better₅₀
Pos.		2012₅₀
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
40	Vietnam	73
41=	Ethiopia	75
41=	Myanmar (Burma)	75
43	Uzbekistan	77
44	Syria	83
45	China	85
46	Cuba	86
47	Iran	90
	The Americas Avg	39.3
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better₅₁
Pos.		2017 Ratio₅₁
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
166=	Lebanon	0.0
166=	St Lucia	0.0
166=	Dominica	0.0
166=	Cuba	0.0
166=	St Vincent & Grenadines	0.0
166=	Montenegro	0.0
166=	Libya	0.0
166=	Jamaica	0.0
	The Americas Avg	3.36
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. Cuba's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #corruption #culture #equality #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #peace #politics

Compared to The Americas (2020)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	Canada	23.1
2	Barbados	46.9
3	Costa Rica	47.3
	...
7	Trinidad & Tobago	62.1
8	Jamaica	69.5
9	Argentina	73.6
10	Cuba	73.8
11	Panama	78.4
12	Belize	78.8
13	Dominica	79.6
14	Bahamas	79.7
15	Brazil	83.5
	The Americas Avg	79.19
q=33.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)₅₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₅₂
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
65	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	71.5
66	Montenegro	73.2
67	Argentina	73.6
68	Cuba	73.8
69	Tunisia	74.9
70	Maldives	75.1
71	Macedonia	75.2
72	Ghana	75.4
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

"Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

Corruption Higher is better₅₃
Pos.		2022 Points₅₃
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
65	China	45.0
66=	Sao Tome & Principe	45.0
66=	Montenegro	45.0
66=	Cuba	45.0
69	Jamaica	44.0
70=	Oman	44.0
70=	Bahrain	44.0
72	Senegal	43.0
	The Americas Avg	42.97
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better₅₄
Pos.		2023 Score₅₄
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
96=	Papua New Guinea	2.10
96=	Azerbaijan	2.10
98	Ecuador	2.10
99	Cuba	2.10
100	Turkmenistan	2.11
101	Tajikistan	2.11
102	Kyrgyzstan	2.12
103=	Peru	2.13
	The Americas Avg	2.13
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better₅₅
Pos.		2019₅₅
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
36	Malta	4.60
37	Serbia	4.90
38	Slovakia	5.00
39	Cuba	5.10
40	UAE	5.20
41=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	5.40
41=	Latvia	5.40
43	Lithuania	5.50
	The Americas Avg	12.03
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #cuba #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #USA

Disbelief In God (2007)₅₆
Pos.		Higher is better %₅₆
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
9=	Netherlands	42
9=	Germany	42
9=	UK	42
12	Cuba	40
13	Slovenia	35
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₅₇:

Christian	59.2%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.2%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	17.4%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	23%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: nominally Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish, Santeria. note: prior to CASTRO assuming power₅₈.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Cuba's Constitution affirms religious liberty and freedom (Article 15 and Article 57), and outlaws discrimination based on religion (Article 43). Despite this, things are not well. As recently as 2020, the USA has again put Cuba on its "Special Watch List for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom"₅₉.

Links: