Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
government owns and controls all broadcast media with private ownership of electronic media prohibited; however, several online independent news sites exist and those that are not openly critical of the government are often tolerated; government operates 5 national TV networks and many local TV stations; government operates 6 national radio networks, an international station, and many local radio stations; Radio-TV Marti is beamed from the US (2017)
Internet country code [time series]
.cu
Internet users [time series]
total: 4,334,022 | percent of population: 38.8% | 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" (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: fixed-line and mobile services run by the state-run ETESCA; mobile-cellular telephone service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos; Cuban Government has opened several hundred Wi-Fi hotspots around the island, which are expensive, and launched a new residential Internet pilot in Havana | domestic: fixed-line density remains low at about 10 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains only about 35 per 100 persons | international: country code - 53; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); several US telecommunication companies have signed voice and data deals to serve their customers while in Cuba (2017)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 1,322,002 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 3,987,900 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Budget [time series]
revenues: $50.83 billion | expenditures: $56.48 billion (2016 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-6.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 183
Central bank discount rate [time series]
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
NA%
Current account balance [time series]
$2.008 billion (2016 est.) | $1.941 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 35
Debt - external [time series]
$20.59 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $29.54 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 91
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
The government continues to balance the need for loosening its socialist economic system against a desire for firm political control. In April 2011, the government held the first Cuban Communist Party Congress in almost 13 years, during which leaders approved a plan for wide-ranging economic changes. Since then, the government has slowly and incrementally implemented limited economic reforms, including allowing Cubans to buy electronic appliances and cell phones, stay in hotels, and buy and sell used cars. The government has cut state sector jobs as part of the reform process, and it has opened up some retail services to "self-employment," leading to the rise of so-called "cuentapropistas" or entrepreneurs. Approximately 476,000 Cuban workers are currently registered as self-employed. | The Cuban regime has updated its economic model to include permitting the private ownership and sale of real estate and new vehicles, allowing private farmers to sell agricultural goods directly to hotels, allowing the creation of non-agricultural cooperatives, adopting a new foreign investment law, and launching a “Special Development Zone” around the Mariel port. | Since late 2000, Venezuela has provided petroleum products to Cuba on preferential terms, supplying nearly 100,000 barrels per day. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including some 30,000 medical professionals.
Exchange rates [time series]
Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar - | 1 (2016 est.) | 1 (2015 est.) | 1 (2014 est.) | 22.7 (2013 est.) | 1 (2012 est.)
Exports [time series]
$2.535 billion (2016 est.) | $3.572 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131
Exports - commodities [time series]
petroleum, nickel, medical products, sugar, tobacco, fish, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners [time series]
Russia 22.9%, Venezuela 15.4%, Spain 10.3% (2016)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$81.56 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in Cuban Pesos at 1 CUP = 1 US$; official exchange rate
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$132.9 billion (2016 est.) | $134.2 billion (2015 est.) | $128.5 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2012 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 78
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 58.3% | government consumption: 32% | investment in fixed capital: 9.7% | investment in inventories: -1.3% | exports of goods and services: 14.8% | imports of goods and services: -13.5% (2016 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 3.9% | industry: 22% | services: 74.8% (2016 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$11,900 (2016 est.) | $12,200 (2015 est.) | $11,600 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 126
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
-0.9% (2016 est.) | 4.4% (2015 est.) | 1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 195
Gross national saving [time series]
11% of GDP (2016 est.) | 12.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | 12.5% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 152
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%
Imports [time series]
$10.28 billion (2016 est.) | $11.75 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 95
Imports - commodities [time series]
petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners [time series]
China 29.2%, Spain 14%, Italy 5.1%, Brazil 4.7%, Mexico 4.4%, Russia 4.3%, Canada 4.1%, US 4% (2016)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
-4.1% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 185
Industries [time series]
petroleum, nickel, cobalt, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, construction, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, sugar
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
4.5% (2016 est.) | 4.6% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Labor force [time series]
4.686 million | note: state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 18% | industry: 10% | services: 72% (2013 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
NA%
Public debt [time series]
32.1% of GDP (2016 est.) | 38.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 155
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$12.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $12.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70
Stock of broad money [time series]
$48.19 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $42.59 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$4.138 billion (2006 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$NA
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$NA
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$21.92 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $18.91 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
62.3% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8
Unemployment rate [time series]
2% (2016 est.) | 2.4% (2015 est.) | note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures | country comparison to the world: 14
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
26 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Crude oil - exports [time series]
0 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110
Crude oil - imports [time series]
101,500 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45
Crude oil - production [time series]
49,830 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
124 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 71
Electricity - consumption [time series]
15.98 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75
Electricity - exports [time series]
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 125
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
90.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
0.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 73
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
8.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
6.711 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74
Electricity - production [time series]
19.12 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 200,000 | electrification - total population: 99.9% | electrification - urban areas: 100% | electrification - rural areas: 95% (2013)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
2.063 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - production [time series]
1.25 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 59
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
180,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
25,540 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
51,970 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
102,800 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68
Geography
total: 110,860 sq km | land: 109,820 sq km | water: 1,040 sq km | country comparison to the world: 107
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Climate [time series]
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline [time series]
3,735 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: 108 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m | highest point: Pico Turquino 1,974 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geographic coordinates [time series]
21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note [time series]
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Irrigated land [time series]
8,700 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 28.5 km | border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km | note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 60.3% | arable land 33.8%; permanent crops 3.6%; permanent pasture 22.9% | forest: 27.3% | other: 12.4% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references [time series]
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
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 [time series]
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Population distribution (Population - distribution) [time series]
large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana
Terrain [time series]
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
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, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Capital [time series]
name: Havana | geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W | time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | 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
Citizenship [time series]
citizenship by birth: yes | citizenship by descent: yes | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Constitution [time series]
several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 February 1976, effective 24 February 1976; amended 1978, 1992, 2002 (2016)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba | conventional short form: Cuba | local long form: Republica de Cuba | local short form: Cuba | etymology: name derives from the Taino Indian designation for the island "coabana" meaning "great place"
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Scott HAMILTON (since 13 July 2017) | embassy: Calzada between L & M Streets, Vedado, Havana | mailing address: use embassy street address | telephone: [53] (7) 839-4100 | FAX: NA
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Ramon CABANAS Rodriguez (since 17 September 2015) | chancery: 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 | telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518 | FAX: NA | consulate(s) general: NA
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013) | cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly; it is subordinate to the 31-member Council of State, which is elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session | elections/appointments: president and vice presidents indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (may be reelected for another 5-year term); election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (PCC) reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
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: design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed
Government type [time series]
communist state
Independence [time series]
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 [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, ALBA, AOSIS, CELAC, 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, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
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 [time series]
civil law system based on Spanish civil code
Legislative branch [time series]
description: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular (614 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - 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 | elections: last held on 3 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song) | lyrics/music: Pedro FIGUEREDO | 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 holiday [time series]
Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day), 1 January (1959)
National symbol(s) [time series]
royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Raul CASTRO Ruz]
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCDHRN) | Ladies in White (Damas de Blanco) | Patriotic Union of Cuba or UNPACU | other: political dissidents and bloggers
Suffrage [time series]
16 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
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 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 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. On 8-9 September 2017, Hurricane Irma passed along the north coast of Cuba causing extensive damage to structures, roads, and power supplies. | The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4-6 billion annually. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its difficulties. Over the past decade, there has been growing communication with the Cuban Government to address national interests. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 to re-establish diplomatic relations with the Cuban Government, which were severed in January 1961, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries on 20 July 2015. However, the embargo remains in place. | Illicit migration of Cuban nationals to the US via maritime and overland routes has been a longstanding challenge. In FY 2016, the US Coast Guard interdicted 5,228 Cuban nationals at sea. Also in FY 2016, 44,553 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US. 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 – facilitating the repatriation of Cuban migrants. Illicit Cuban migration has since dropped significantly.
Military and Security
Military - note [time series]
the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and professional in nature; the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment has increasingly affected operational capabilities (2013)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER, includes Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT)), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR); Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2013)
Military expenditures [time series]
3.08% of GDP (2015) | 3.54% of GDP (2014) | 3.51% of GDP (2013) | 3.94% of GDP (2012) | 3.08% of GDP (2011)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation for males, optional for females (2017)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 16.57% (male 950,870/female 896,476) | 15-24 years: 12.22% (male 706,882/female 655,446) | 25-54 years: 44.43% (male 2,490,483/female 2,462,250) | 55-64 years: 11.84% (male 640,150/female 679,603) | 65 years and over: 14.94% (male 763,058/female 902,189) (2017 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
10.7 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
73.7% (2014)
Death rate [time series]
8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 43.3 | youth dependency ratio: 23.3 | elderly dependency ratio: 19.9 | potential support ratio: 5 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 96.4% of population | rural: 89.8% of population | total: 94.9% of population | urban: 3.6% of population | rural: 10.2% of population | total: 5.1% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
12.8% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 2
Ethnic groups [time series]
white 64.1%, mulatto or mixed 26.6%, black 9.3% | note: data represent racial self-identification from Cuba's 2012 national census (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
0.4% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
<200 (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
25,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
11.1% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 12
Hospital bed density [time series]
5.3 beds/1,000 population (2012)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181
Languages [time series]
Spanish (official)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 78.8 years | male: 76.5 years | female: 81.3 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 99.8% | male: 99.9% | female: 99.8% (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: intermediate | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A | vectorborne diseases: dengue fever | note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
HAVANA (capital) 2.137 million (2015)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
39 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Median age [time series]
total: 41.5 years | male: 40.1 years | female: 42.6 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41
Nationality [time series]
noun: Cuban(s) | adjective: Cuban
Net migration rate [time series]
-4.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
24.6% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 56
People - note [time series]
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 has surged since the beginning of improved US-Cuban relations in late December 2014
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
7.52 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Population [time series]
11,147,407 (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80
Population distribution [time series]
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 [time series]
-0.29% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 216
Religions [time series]
nominally Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish, Santeria | note: prior to CASTRO assuming power
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 94.4% of population | rural: 89.1% of population | total: 93.2% of population | urban: 5.6% of population | rural: 10.9% of population | total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 14 years | male: 13 years | female: 14 years (2015)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
1.71 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 171
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 6.1% | male: 6.4% | female: 5.6% (2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 77.3% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
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 [time series]
territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; child sex trafficking and child sex tourism occur in Cuba, while some Cubans are forced into prostitution in South America and the Caribbean; allegations have been made that some Cubans have been forced or coerced to work at Cuban medical missions abroad; assessing the scope of trafficking within Cuba is difficult because of the lack of information | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; Cuba’s penal code does not criminalize all forms of human trafficking, but the government reported that it is in the process of amending its criminal code to comply with the 2000 UN TIP Protocol, to which it acceded in 2013; the government in 2014 prosecuted and convicted 13 sex traffickers and provided services to the victims in those cases but does not have shelters specifically for trafficking victims; the government did not recognize forced labor as a problem and took no action to address it; state media produced newspaper articles and TV and radio programs to raise public awareness about sex trafficking (2015)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
133 (2017) | country comparison to the world: 43
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 64 | over 3,047 m: 7 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 | 914 to 1,523 m: 4 | under 914 m: 27 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 69 | 914 to 1,523 m: 11 | under 914 m: 58 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
CU (2016)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 3 | by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 1 | registered in other countries: 5 (Curacao 1, Panama 2, unknown 2) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 136
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 3 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 18 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,294,458 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 20,919,645 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines [time series]
gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas Bay, Santiago de Cuba
Railways [time series]
total: 8,367 km | standard gauge: 8,195 km 1.435-m gauge (105 km electrified) | narrow gauge: 172 km 1.000-m gauge | note: 70 km of standard gauge track is not for public use (2015) | country comparison to the world: 26
Roadways [time series]
total: 60,858 km | paved: 29,820 km (includes 639 km of expressways) | unpaved: 31,038 km (2001) | country comparison to the world: 69
Waterways [time series]
240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 94