2023 Edition

Background

The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the arrival of 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 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 Spain in 1898 and, following three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic 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 authoritarian rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He handed off the presidency in February 2008 to 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. Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez, hand-picked by Raul CASTRO to succeed him, was approved as president by the National Assembly and took office on 19 April 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party on 19 April 2021 following the retirement of Raul CASTRO, and continues to serve as both president and first secretary. Cuba traditionally and consistently portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Cuban Government, which were severed in January 1961, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in July 2015. The embargo remains in place, and the relationship between the US and Cuba remains tense.  Illicit migration of Cuban nationals to the US via maritime and overland routes has been a longstanding challenge. On 12 January 2017, the US and Cuba signed a Joint Statement ending the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy – by which Cuban nationals who reached US soil were permitted to stay. Irregular Cuban maritime migration has dropped significantly since FY 2016, when migrant interdictions at sea topped 5,000, but land border crossings continue. In FY 2022, the US Coast Guard interdicted almost 10,000 Cuban nationals at sea. Also in FY 2022, 230,000 Cuban nationals presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US.

Area

land

109,820 sq km

total

110,860 sq km

water

1,040 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)

Coastline

3,735 km

Elevation

highest point

Pico Turquino 1,974 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

108 m

Geographic coordinates

21 30 N, 80 00 W

Geography - note

largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

Irrigated land

8,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km

note

note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba

total

28.5 km

Land use

agricultural land

60.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest

27.3% (2018 est.)

other

12.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common

Natural resources

cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land

Population distribution

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast

Age structure

0-14 years

16.39% (male 926,457/female 874,347)

15-64 years

66.81% (male 3,692,573/female 3,647,316)

65 years and over

16.8% (2023 est.) (male 835,005/female 1,010,276)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

5.9% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

4.8%

women married by age 18

29.4%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.4% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

69% (2019)

Current health expenditure

12.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

22.9

potential support ratio

4.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

45.9

youth dependency ratio

23.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 97% of population

improved: total

total: 98.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.1% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

White 64.1%, Mulatto or mixed 26.6%, Black 9.3% (2012 est.)

note

note: data represent racial self-identification from Cuba's 2012 national census

Gross reproduction rate

0.83 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.4 years

male

77.5 years

total population

79.9 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.7% (2021)

male

99.6%

total population

99.7%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

39 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

44.3 years

male

40.8 years

total

42.3 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Cuban

noun

Cuban(s)

Net migration rate

-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.6% (2016)

People - note

illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and overland via the southwest border; the number of Cubans migrating to the US surged after the announcement of normalization of US-Cuban relations in late December 2014 but has decreased since the end of the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy on 12 January 2017

Physicians density

8.42 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

10,985,974 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Population growth rate

-0.19% (2023 est.)

Religions

Christian 58.9%, folk religion 17.6%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, Muslim <1%, other <1%, none 23.2% (2020 est.)

note

note: folk religions include religions of African origin, spiritualism, and others intermingled with Catholicism or Protestantism; data is estimative because no authoritative source on religious affiliation exists for Cuba

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 87% of population

improved: total

total: 93% of population

improved: urban

urban: 94.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 13% of population

unimproved: total

total: 7% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 5.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2021)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

10.3% (2020 est.)

male

25.5% (2020 est.)

total

17.9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.5% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7%

male

7.6%

total

7.4% (2021 est.)

Administrative divisions

15 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Artemisa, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana (Havana), Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting

etymology

the sites of Spanish colonial cities often retained their original Taino names; Habana, the Spanish name for the city, may be based on the name of a local Taino chief, HABAGUANEX

geographic coordinates

23 07 N, 82 21 W

name

Havana

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

unknown

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly of People’s Power; passage requires approval of at least two-thirds majority of the National Assembly membership; amendments to constitutional articles on the authorities of the National Assembly, Council of State, or any rights and duties in the constitution also require approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on the Cuban political, social, and economic system cannot be amended

history

several previous; latest drafted 14 July 2018, approved by the National Assembly 22 December 2018, approved by referendum 24 February 2019

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Cuba

conventional short form

Cuba

etymology

name derives from the Taino Indian designation for the island "coabana" meaning "great place"

local long form

República de Cuba

local short form

Cuba

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Benjamin G. ZIFF (since 14 July 2022)

email address and website

acshavana@state.govhttps://cu.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Calzada between L & M Streets, Vedado, Havana

FAX

[53] (7) 839-4247

mailing address

3200 Havana Place, Washington DC  20521-3200

telephone

[53] (7) 839-4100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Lianys TORRES RIVERA (since 14 January 2021)

email address and website

recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cuhttps://misiones.cubaminrex.cu/en/usa/embassy-cuba-usa

FAX

[1] (202) 797-8521

telephone

[1] (202) 797-8515

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the president and appointed by the National Assembly

chief of state

President Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 19 April 2018); Vice President Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (since 10 October 2019)

election results

2023: Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 97.7%; Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (PCC) reelected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 93.4%2019: Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.8%; Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (PCC) elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.1%

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 19 April 2023 (next to be held NA)

head of government

Prime Minister Manuel MARRERO Cruz (since 21 December 2019); Deputy Prime Ministers Ramiro VALDES Menendez, Ines Maria CHAPMAN Waugh, Jorge Luis TAPIA Fonseca, Alejandro GIL Fernandez, Ricardo CABRISAS Ruiz (since 21 December 2019), and Jorge Luis PERDOMO DI-LELLA (since 20 April 2021)

note

note - on 19 April 2018, DIAZ-CANEL succeeded Raul CASTRO as president of the Councils of State and Ministers; on 10 October 2019 he was elected to the newly created position of President of the Republic, which replaced the position of President of the Councils of State and Ministers

Flag description

five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; the blue bands refer to the three old divisions of the island: central, occidental, and oriental; the white bands describe the purity of the independence ideal; the triangle symbolizes liberty, equality, and fraternity, while the red color stands for the blood shed in the independence struggle; the white star, called La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star) lights the way to freedom and was taken from the flag of Texas

note

note: design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

Government type

communist state

Independence

20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ALBA, AOSIS, CELAC, EAEU (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

People's Supreme Court (consists of court president, vice president, 41 professional justices, and NA lay judges); organization includes the State Council, criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes against the state, and military courts)

judge selection and term of office

professional judges elected by the National Assembly are not subject to a specific term; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year

subordinate courts

People's Provincial Courts; People's Regional Courts; People's Courts

Legal system

civil law system based on Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular (605 seats; (586 seats filled in 2021); members directly elected by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); note 1 - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates; to be elected, candidates must receive more than 50% of valid votes otherwise the seat remains vacant or the Council of State can declare another election; note 2 - in July 2019, the National Assembly passed a law which reduces the number of members from 605 to 474, effective with the 2023 general election

election results

Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed; composition (as of June 2021) - men 273, women 313, percent of women 53.4%

elections

last held on 26 March 2023 (next to be held in early 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Pedro FIGUEREDO

name

"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song)

note

note: adopted 1940; Pedro FIGUEREDO first performed "La Bayamesa" in 1868 during the Ten Years War against the Spanish; a leading figure in the uprising, FIGUEREDO was captured in 1870 and executed by a firing squad; just prior to the fusillade he is reputed to have shouted, "Morir por la Patria es vivir" (To die for the country is to live), a line from the anthem

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Old Havana (c); Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios (c); San Pedro de la Roca Castle (c); Desembarco del Granma National Park (n); Viñales Valley (c); Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations (c); Alejandro de Humboldt National Park (n); Historic Cienfuegos (c); Historic Camagüey (c)

total World Heritage Sites

9 (7 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day), 1 January (1959)

National symbol(s)

royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez]

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, cassava, vegetables, plantains, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, milk, pumpkins, mangoes/guavas, rice

Budget

expenditures

$64.64 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

$54.52 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Caa2 (2014)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$2.008 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$985.4 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$29.89 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$30.06 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

still largely state-run planned economy, although privatization increasing under new constitution; widespread protests due to lack of basic necessities and electricity; massive foreign investment increases recently; known tobacco exporter; unique oil-for-doctors relationship with Venezuela; widespread corruption

Exchange rates

Currency

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

22.7 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$2.546 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$2.63 billion (2017 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

cigars, nickel, sugar, rum, zinc (2021)

Exports - partners

China 38%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

14.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

31.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-12.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

9.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4% (2017 est.)

industry

22.7% (2017 est.)

services

73.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$93.79 billion (2017 est.)

note

note: data are in Cuban Pesos at 1 CUP = 1 US$; official exchange rate

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$10.28 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$11.06 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

poultry meat, wheat, soybean products, corn, concentrated milk (2019)

Imports - partners

Spain 19%, China 15%, Italy 6%, Canada 5%, Russia 5%, United States 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-6.75% (2021 est.)

Industries

petroleum, nickel, cobalt, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, construction, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, sugar

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

4.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

5.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

5.135 million (2021 est.)

note

note: state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7%

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

18%

industry

10%

services

72% (2016 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

47.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2016 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$134.2 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$134.8 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$137 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-0.16% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-10.95% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.25% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2016 US dollars

Real GDP per capita 2014

$12,100 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$12,200 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$12,300 (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$12.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$11.35 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

58.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double

Unemployment rate 2019

1.74% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

2.62% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

2.76% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7%

male

7.6%

total

7.4% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

28,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.814 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

14.636 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

16.478 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

4,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

4,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

16,097,460,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

7.479 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.429 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

2.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

95.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

32.785 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

976.023 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

976.023 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

70.792 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

48,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

124 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

164,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

38,400 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

24,190 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

52,750 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

104,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2020 est.)

total

231,654 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

government owns and controls all broadcast media: eight national TV channels (Cubavision, Cubavision Plus, Tele Rebelde, Multivision, Educational Channel 1 and 2, Canal Clave, Canal Habana), two international channels (Cubavision Internacional and Canal Caribe), multiple regional TV stations, 7 national radio networks, and multiple regional stations; the Cuban Government beams over the Radio-TV Marti signal; although private ownership of electronic media is prohibited, several online independent news sites exist; those that are not openly critical of the government are often tolerated; the others are blocked by the government; there are no independent TV channels, but several outlets have created strong audiovisual content (El Toque, for example); a community of young Youtubers is also growing, mostly with channels about sports, technology and fashion; Christian denominations are creating original video content to distribute via social media (2023)

Internet country code

.cu

Internet users

note

note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet"; issues relating to COVID-19 impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be different than published numbers suggest

percent of population

71% (2021 est.)

total

7.81 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line density remains low at a little over 14 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service has expanded to about 63 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

internet availability has increased substantially over the past few years, but only about 64 percent of Cubans have Internet access, and even fewer Cubans--about 60 percent of the population--have access to cell phone service; in 2021 the Cuban Government passed a decree that strengthened its authority to censor Internet and telephonic communications; state control of the telecom sector hinders development; Cuba has the lowest mobile phone and Internet subscription rates in the region; fixed-line density is also very low; thaw of US-Cuba relations encouraged access to services, such as Wi-Fi hot spots; access to sites is controlled and censored; DSL and Internet are available in Havana, though costs are too high for most Cubans; international investment and agreement to improve Internet access through cost-free and direct connection between networks (2021)

international

country code - 53; the ALBA-1, GTMO-1, and GTMO-PR fiber-optic submarine cables link Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

14 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

1,539,269 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

63 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7,103,296 (2021 est.)

Airports

133 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

7

joint use (civil-military) airports

2

military airports

3

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

52

total

64

Airports - with unpaved runways

69

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CU

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 13, oil tanker 10, other 41

total

64 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

17.76 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

560,754 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

18

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

41 km gas, 230 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas Bay, Santiago de Cuba

Railways

narrow gauge

172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

note

note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

standard gauge

8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified)

total

8,367 km (2017)

Roadways

paved

20,000 km (2001)

total

60,000 km (2015)

unpaved

40,000 km (2001)

Waterways

240 km (2011) (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers)

Military - note

the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) are a central pillar of the Cuban regime and viewed as the guardian of the Cuban revolution; it has a large role in the country’s politics and economy; many senior government posts are held by military officers, and a FAR-controlled umbrella enterprise known as the Armed Forces Business Group (Grupo de Administración Empresarial or GAESA) has interests in banking and finance, construction, import/export, ports, real estate, retail, shipping, transportation, and tourismthe FAR is largely focused on protecting territorial integrity and the state, and perceives the US as its primary threat; the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent end of Soviet military aid had far-reaching consequences for the FAR, transforming it from one of the largest and most capable militaries in the region, as well as one that was heavily involved in foreign missions during the Cold War, particularly in Africa, into a much smaller, home-based and defensive force with limited capabilities; the Army, once over 200,000 strong, but now estimated to have about 40,000 troops, is a conscript-based force armed with Soviet-era weapons and equipment and reportedly organized into 3 regional commands or armies, each with an undetermined number of divisional headquarters and brigades of artillery, light infantry, mechanized infantry, and tanks; the Army also has a special forces brigade, an airborne brigade, and a security brigade that faces the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay; the Navy once boasted several Soviet-made frigates and attack submarines but now maintains a small combat force of aging coastal patrol and mine warfare craft, as well as a midget attack submarine; its largest vessels are two former fishing trawlers that were converted into warships in the late 1970s; the Border Guards also have patrol vessels; the Air Defense force has surface-to-air missiles and hundreds of air defense artillery guns, while the Air Force has a few dozen operational Soviet-era fighter aircraft attack helicopters (2023)

Military and security forces

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR); Paramilitary forces: Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT), Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT), Civil Defense ForceMinistry of Interior: Border Guards, State Security, National Revolutionary Police (2023)

Military and security service personnel strengths

limited available information; estimated 50,000 active personnel, including approximately 40,000 Army (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory is comprised of aging Russian and Soviet-era equipment (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

3.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-28 years of age for compulsory (men) and voluntary (men and women) military service; conscripts serve for 24 months (2023)

Disputes - international

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease

Illicit drugs

Cuba is not a major consumer, producer, or transshipment point for illicit drugs; domestic production and consumption curbed by aggressive policing; prescription drug abuse remains low  

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — Cuba does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government made some efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict sex traffickers, and identify victims; however, there was a government policy or pattern to profit from labor export programs with strong indications of forced labor, particularly in its foreign medical missions program; the government continued to deploy Cuban workers to foreign countries using deceptive and coercive tactics, and failed to address an increasing number of allegations from credible NGOs and foreign governments of labor violations and trafficking, and of Cuban officials’ involvement in abuses; Cuban law did not explicitly prohibit labor trafficking as defined in international law (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Cuba and Cubans abroad; individuals are forced or coerced into participating and threatened to stay in labor export programs, most notably foreign medical missions; sex trafficking and sex tourism, including child victims, occur within Cuba; traffickers exploit Cubans in sex trafficking and forced labor in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and the United States; foreigners from Africa and Asia are subject to sex trafficking and forced labor in Cuba to pay off travel debts; officials identified children, young women, elderly, and disabled persons as the most vulnerable to trafficking; the government uses high school students in some rural areas to harvest crops without pay, claiming that the work is voluntary (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

28.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

9.3 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

13.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)

Environment - current issues

soil degradation and desertification (brought on by poor farming techniques and natural disasters) are the main environmental problems; biodiversity loss; deforestation; air and water pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

60.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest

27.3% (2018 est.)

other

12.4% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.12 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4.52 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

740 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

1.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,692,692 tons (2007 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

255,536 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

9.5% (2015 est.)