Cuba

total: 327,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

government owns and controls all broadcast media: 8 national TV channels (Cubavision, Cubavision Plus, Tele Rebelde, Multivision, Educational Channel 1 and 2, Canal Clave, Canal Habana), 2 international channels (Cubavision Internacional and Canal Caribe), multiple regional TV stations, 7 national radio networks, and multiple regional radio stations; the government uses the Radio-TV Marti signal; private ownership of electronic media is officially prohibited, with several online independent news sites tolerated but blocked if critical of the government; YouTube popular; Christian denominations create original video content to distribute via social media (2023)

.cu

percent of population: 71% (2023 est.) 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

total subscriptions: 1.59 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions: 8.01 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 73 (2024 est.)

sugarcane, cassava, plantains, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, milk, tomatoes, pumpkins/squash, sweet potatoes, bananas (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $54.52 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: $64.64 billion (2017 est.)

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

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar - 24 (2024 est.) 24 (2023 est.) 24 (2022 est.) 24 (2021 est.) 1 (2020 est.) note: official exchange rate of 24 Cuban pesos per US dollar effective 1 January 2021

$8.768 billion (2020 est.) $12.632 billion (2019 est.) $14.53 billion (2018 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

tobacco, nickel, liquor, zinc ore, precious metal ore (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 34%, Spain 12%, Germany 6%, Switzerland 5%, Hong Kong 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$259.781 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 73.3% (2023 est.) government consumption: 25.5% (2023 est.) investment in fixed capital: 12.3% (2023 est.) investment in inventories: 10% (2023 est.) exports of goods and services: 43.5% (2023 est.) imports of goods and services: -64.6% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 1.3% (2023 est.) industry: 27.5% (2023 est.) services: 70% (2023 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

$8.067 billion (2020 est.) $10.971 billion (2019 est.) $12.567 billion (2018 est.) note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

beer, poultry, rice, plastic products, soybean oil (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Spain 24%, China 13%, Netherlands 10%, USA 9%, Canada 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-0.9% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

76.1% (2022 est.) 151.9% (2021 est.) 11.9% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

4.859 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

$81.165 billion (2024 est.) $81.985 billion (2023 est.) $83.597 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

-1.9% (2023 est.) 1.8% (2022 est.) 1.3% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$23,700 (2024 est.) $18,300 (2023 est.) $13,300 (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

1.6% (2024 est.) 1.8% (2023 est.) 1.9% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 3.9% (2024 est.) male: 4.1% (2024 est.) female: 3.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

consumption: 1,000 metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 25 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 7.264 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 11.951 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 3.352 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 95.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

26.07 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

production: 850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.) proven reserves: 70.792 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 118,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 124 million barrels (2021 est.)

19.716 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 16,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 18.12 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 1.58 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

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

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

agricultural land: 61.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 28% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.) forest: 34.9% (2023 est.) other: 3.5% (2023 est.)

energy: 23 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 249.7 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 146.4 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 2.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

13.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

38.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 1.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.) industrial: 740 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 4.519 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.693 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 25.7% (2022 est.)

total : 110,860 sq km land: 109,820 sq km water: 1,040 sq km

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

3,735 km

highest point: Pico Turquino 1,974 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m mean elevation: 108 m

21 30 N, 80 00 W

largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

8,700 sq km (2012)

total: 28.5 km border countries (1): US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba

agricultural land: 61.7% (2023 est.) arable land: 28% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.) forest: 34.9% (2023 est.) other: 3.5% (2023 est.)

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

Central America and the Caribbean

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

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

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

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 R o, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

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 etymology: Spanish soldier Diego VELAZQUEZ named the city San Cristobal de la Habana, or Saint Christopher of the Habana; "Habana" may have been the name of a local ethnic group, but the meaning of the word is unknown

citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: yes dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

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

conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Rep blica de Cuba local short form: Cuba etymology: the origin of the name is disputed; it could be derived from a local Taino word, either cubao , meaning "where fertile land is abundant," or coabana, meaning "great place"

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Mike HAMMER (since 14 November 2024) embassy: Calzada between L M Streets, Vedado, Havana mailing address: 3200 Havana Place, Washington DC 20521-3200 telephone: [53] (7) 839-4100 FAX: [53] (7) 839-4247 email address and website: acshavana@state.gov https://cu.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires Lianys TORRES RIVERA (since 14 January 2021) chancery: 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-8515 FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521 email address and website: recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu https://misiones.cubaminrex.cu/en/usa/embassy-cuba-usa

chief of state: President Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 19 April 2018) head of government: Prime Minister Manuel MARRERO Cruz (since 21 December 2019) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president and appointed by the National Assembly election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 19 April 2023 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% 2018: Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.8%; Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (PCC) elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.1% expected date of next election: 2028

description: five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the left side has a five-pointed white star in the center meaning: the blue bands stand for the islands' three former departments: Central, Occidental, and Oriental; the white bands for the purity of the independence ideal; the triangle for liberty, equality, and fraternity; the red color 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 inspired by the state flag of Texas note: design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

communist state

20 May 1902 (from US administration); 10 December 1898 (from Spain); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as days of independence

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

ACP, ACS, ALBA, AOSIS, CABEI, 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

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

civil law system based on Spanish civil code

legislature name: National Assembly of the People's Power (Asamblea nacional del Poder popular) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 470 (all directly elected) electoral system: other systems scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 3/26/2023 percentage of women in chamber: 55.7% expected date of next election: March 2028 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

title: "La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song) lyrics/music: Pedro FIGUEREDO history: adopted 1940; Pedro FIGUEREDO first performed it 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 before being shot, he is said to have shouted, "Morir por la Patria es vivir" (To die for the country is to live), a line from the anthem

red, white, blue

total World Heritage Sites: 9 (7 cultural, 2 natural) 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); Vi ales Valley (c); Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations (c); Alejandro de Humboldt National Park (n); Historic Cienfuegos (c); Historic Camag ey (c)

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

royal palm

Cuban Communist Party or PCC

16 years of age; universal

The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the arrival of Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492, as the country was developed 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 after three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic in 1902. Cuba then 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 to his younger brother Raul CASTRO in 2008. 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 in 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021 after 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 socioeconomic difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in 2014 to reestablish diplomatic relations, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in 2015. The embargo remains in place, however, 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. In 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 2016, when migrant interdictions at sea topped 5,000, but land border crossings continue.

the Cuban military is largely focused on protecting territorial integrity and the state; it perceives the US as its primary threat; the military is 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 the FAR reportedly has interests in agriculture, banking and finance, construction, import/export, ports, industry, real estate, retail, shipping, transportation, and tourism (2025)

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Ground Troops (Tropas Terrestres), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR) Paramilitary forces under the FAR: Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT), Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT), Defense and Production Brigades (Brigadas de Producci n y Defensa, BPD), Civil Defense Organization (Defensa Civil de Cuba) Ministry of Interior: National Revolutionary Police (Polic a Nacional Revolucionaria, PNR), Directorate of Border Guard Troops (Direcci n de Tropas de Guardia Fronteriza, TGF), Department of State Security (Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, DSE) (2025)

limited available information; estimated 50,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the military's inventory is comprised of Russian and Soviet-era equipment (2025)

4.2% of GDP (2020 est.) 3.2% of GDP (2019 est.) 2.9% of GDP (2018 est.) 2.9% of GDP (2017 est.) 3.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

military service is mandatory for all men and voluntary for women (ages 17-28); service obligation is 24 months with the Armed Forces or the Ministry of Interior; reserve commitment for men until age 45 (2025)

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 918,066/female 866,578) 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 3,670,531/female 3,623,658) 65 years and over: 17.2% (2024 est.) (male 852,910/female 1,034,295)

total: 4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 1.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 2.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

7.78 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

women married by age 15: 4.8% (2019) women married by age 18: 29.4% (2019) men married by age 18: 5.9% (2019)

2.4% (2019 est.)

58.6% (2019 est.)

11.42 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio: 50.2 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 22.6 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 27.6 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 3.6 (2025 est.)

urban: 95.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 91.8% of population (2022 est.) total: 94.7% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.5% of population (2022 est.) rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.) total: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)

8.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 17% national budget (2022 est.)

White 64.1%, Mulatto or mixed 26.6%, Black 9.3% (2012 est.) note: data represent racial self-identification from Cuba's 2012 national census

0.72 (2025 est.)

13.8% of GDP (2021) 21% of national budget (2022 est.)

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total: 5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Spanish (official) major-language sample(s): La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaci n b sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

total population: 80.1 years (2024 est.) male: 77.8 years female: 82.6 years

total population: 97.7% (2019 est.) male: 99% (2019 est.) female: 96.3% (2019 est.)

2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

35 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 46.2 years (2025 est.) male: 41 years female: 44.4 years

noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban

-2.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

24.6% (2016)

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

9.54 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

total: 10,059,519 (2025 est.) male: 4,950,615 female: 5,108,904

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

-0.6% (2025 est.)

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

urban: 98.4% of population (2022 est.) rural: 95.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 97.8% of population (2022 est.) urban: 1.6% of population (2022 est.) rural: 4.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)

total: 14 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 15 years (2023 est.)

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 16.7% (2025 est.) male: 24.7% (2025 est.) female: 9% (2025 est.)

1.49 children born/woman (2025 est.)

urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

refugees: 171 (2024 est.) IDPs: 37,171 (2024 est.)

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, therefore, Cuba remained on Tier 3; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/cuba/

120 (2025)

CU

4 (2025)

total: 65 (2023) by type: general cargo 13, oil tanker 10, other 42

total ports: 34 (2024) large: 6 medium: 3 small: 10 very small: 6 size unknown: 9 ports with oil terminals: 14 key ports: Antilla, Bahai de la Habana, Bahia de Sagua de Tanamo, Cabanas, Casilda, Cienfuegos, Nuevitas Bay, Puerto Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba

total: 8,367 km (2017) standard gauge: 8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified) narrow gauge: 172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use