GeoRealityMatch
Beautiful cityscape view of Havana, Cuba with its iconic architecture and waterfront under a clear sky.A stunning aerial view of Havana, Cuba showcasing the city's skyline under an overcast sky.

Cuba

North America · Caribbean

High development

The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the whole country.

Source: FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Safety

108th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
2.139lower is more peacefulMedium safety
#108 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
4.5per 100,000 people a yearHighUNODC / World Bank · 2019
Safety index
61.2Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferHighNumbeo · 2026
Money
Rent index
11.4New York = 100AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
51.8years of median income to buy a median flatVery expensiveNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 122% in current dollars from 2006 to 2020, and rose 25% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parity

$0$5.0K$10K$9,60520062010201520202006, $4,330 a person2007, $4,807 a person2008, $4,986 a person2009, $5,089 a person2010, $5,272 a person2011, $6,104 a person2012, $6,471 a person2013, $6,828 a person2014, $7,147 a person2015, $7,728 a person2016, $8,111 a person2017, $8,611 a person2018, $8,911 a person2019, $9,232 a person2020, $9,605 a person$0$5.0K$10K20062010201520202006, $4,330 a person2007, $4,807 a person2008, $4,986 a person2009, $5,089 a person2010, $5,272 a person2011, $6,104 a person2012, $6,471 a person2013, $6,828 a person2014, $7,147 a person2015, $7,728 a person2016, $8,111 a person2017, $8,611 a person2018, $8,911 a person2019, $9,232 a person2020, $9,605 a person

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Above-average life expectancy

Life expectancy
78.3years, at birthHigh
#51 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
86WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
12.2PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageLowWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very slow home internet

Unemployment rate
1.7%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
4 Mbpsmedian download speedVery slowOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
515EF English Proficiency Index scoreModerateEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet4 MbpsVery slow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

A stunning aerial view of Havana, Cuba showcasing the city's skyline under an overcast sky.
How it changed

Cuba's Human Development Index

0.762High human development

97th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 14th of 23 in North America.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #95Turkmenistan0.764
  2. #96Algeria0.763
  3. #97Cuba0.762
  4. #98Dominica0.761
  5. #99Paraguay0.756
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.687 in 1990 to 0.762 in 2023.

0.600.720.850.76219902000201020231990: 0.6871991: 0.6811992: 0.6741993: 0.6651994: 0.6621995: 0.6641996: 0.6751997: 0.6791998: 0.6831999: 0.6902000: 0.6972001: 0.7052002: 0.7112003: 0.7212004: 0.7342005: 0.7472006: 0.7662007: 0.7802008: 0.7882009: 0.7882010: 0.7832011: 0.7812012: 0.7772013: 0.7712014: 0.7702015: 0.7692016: 0.7672017: 0.7672018: 0.7692019: 0.7692020: 0.7622021: 0.7452022: 0.7642023: 0.7620.600.720.8519902000201020231990: 0.6871991: 0.6811992: 0.6741993: 0.6651994: 0.6621995: 0.6641996: 0.6751997: 0.6791998: 0.6831999: 0.6902000: 0.6972001: 0.7052002: 0.7112003: 0.7212004: 0.7342005: 0.7472006: 0.7662007: 0.7802008: 0.7882009: 0.7882010: 0.7832011: 0.7812012: 0.7772013: 0.7712014: 0.7702015: 0.7692016: 0.7672017: 0.7672018: 0.7692019: 0.7692020: 0.7622021: 0.7452022: 0.7642023: 0.762

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
78.3 years2024at birthUp 0.7 years from 77.5 years in 2005
Internet users
70%2024of people onlineUp 59 points from 11% in 2006
Urban population
77%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 1 point from 76% in 2006
Births per woman
1.452024births per womanDown 0.04 from 1.49 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
21%2021of energy usedDown 13 points from 34% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityUp 3 points from 97% in 2005
Infant mortality
72024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsUp 1 from 6 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
1.9 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 0.4 t from 2.3 t in 2005
Forest area
31%2023of land under forestUp 6 points from 25% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Time-capsule Caribbean with a musical culture all its own; the US embargo limits access. The case against is the UK's advice against travel.

About Cuba

Cuba is a Caribbean island of remarkable cultural vitality, where the music, art, and architecture of a vanished era are preserved in a state of vivid, improvised life. Havana is unlike any other city on earth, a place where classic cars, crumbling colonial grandeur, and extraordinary human creativity coexist on every street corner. The country rewards travellers who engage with its people and culture rather than those seeking conventional resort comforts.

Practical facts

  • CapitalHavana
  • LanguagesSpanish
  • CurrencyCuban peso (CUP)
  • Area103,800 km²
  • Plug typeType A/B
  • Drives on theright
Every figure

Everything we hold on Cuba

Quick answers

What is Cuba's Human Development Index?

Cuba's Human Development Index is 0.762 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #97 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Cuba safe?

Cuba scores 2.14 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #108 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Cuba?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Cuba at 41.8 (New York = 100); that is #72 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Cuba?

Life expectancy at birth in Cuba is 78.3 yrs (World Bank), ranked #51 of 195 countries.