Cuba Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Capital

Havana

Population

10,059,519 (2025 est.)

Area

110,860 sq km

Location

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

🧭 Background

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.

🗺️ Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

21 30 N, 80 00 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area — total

110,860 sq km

Area — land

109,820 sq km

Area — water

1,040 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries — total

28.5 km

Land boundaries — border countries

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km

Coastline

3,735 km

Maritime claims — territorial sea

12 nm

Maritime claims — contiguous zone

24 nm

Maritime claims — exclusive economic zone

200 nm

Climate

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

Terrain

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

Elevation — highest point

Pico Turquino 1,974 m

Elevation — lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Elevation — mean elevation

108 m

Natural resources

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

Land use — agricultural land

61.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 28% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

34.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

3.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land

8,700 sq km (2012)

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

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

Geography - note

Largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

👥 People and Society⬆️ Top

Population — total

10,059,519 (2025 est.)

Population — male

4,950,615

Population — female

5,108,904

Nationality — noun

Cuban(s)

Nationality — adjective

Cuban

Ethnic groups

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

Languages — Languages

Spanish (official)

Languages — 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.

Religions

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

Age structure — 0-14 years

16.3% (male 918,066/female 866,578)

Age structure — 15-64 years

66.5% (male 3,670,531/female 3,623,658)

Age structure — 65 years and over

17.2% (2024 est.) (male 852,910/female 1,034,295)

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

50.2 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

22.6 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

27.6 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

3.6 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

46.2 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

41 years

Median age — female

44.4 years

Population growth rate

-0.6% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

Urbanization — urban population

77.5% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Major urban areas - population

2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio — at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Infant mortality rate — male

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

80.1 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

77.8 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

82.6 years

Total fertility rate

1.49 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.72 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 95.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 91.8% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 94.7% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: rural

Rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

13.8% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure — Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

21% of national budget (2022 est.)

Physician density

9.54 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

Hospital bed density

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

Sanitation facility access — improved: urban

Urban: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 95.7% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 97.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption per capita — total

4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — beer

1.77 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — wine

0.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — spirits

2.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita — other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use — total

16.7% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — male

24.7% (2025 est.)

Tobacco use — female

9% (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.4% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

58.6% (2019 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

4.8% (2019)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

29.4% (2019)

Child marriage — men married by age 18

5.9% (2019)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% GDP)

8.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure — Education expenditure (% national budget)

17% national budget (2022 est.)

Literacy — total population

97.7% (2019 est.)

Literacy — male

99% (2019 est.)

Literacy — female

96.3% (2019 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

14 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

13 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

15 years (2023 est.)

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

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

Environmental issues

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

International environmental 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

International environmental agreements — signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Climate

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

Land use — agricultural land

61.7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 28% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

34.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

3.5% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

77.5% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

19.716 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from coal and metallurgical coke

16,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

18.12 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from consumed natural gas

1.58 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

13.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Methane emissions — energy

23 kt (2022-2024 est.)

Methane emissions — agriculture

249.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — waste

146.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Methane emissions — other

2.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and recycling — municipal solid waste generated annually

2.693 million tons (2024 est.)

Waste and recycling — percent of municipal solid waste recycled

25.7% (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

1.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

740 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

4.519 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.12 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

Republic of Cuba

Country name — conventional short form

Cuba

Country name — local long form

República de Cuba

Country name — local short form

Cuba

Country name — 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"

Government type

Communist state

Capital — name

Havana

Capital — geographic coordinates

23 07 N, 82 21 W

Capital — time difference

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

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

Capital — 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

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 Río, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Legal system

Civil law system based on Spanish civil code

Constitution — history

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

Constitution — 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

International law organization participation

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

Citizenship — citizenship by birth

Yes

Citizenship — citizenship by descent only

Yes

Citizenship — dual citizenship recognized

No

Citizenship — residency requirement for naturalization

Unknown

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch — chief of state

President Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 19 April 2018)

Executive branch — head of government

Prime Minister Manuel MARRERO Cruz (since 21 December 2019)

Executive branch — cabinet

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

Executive branch — election/appointment process

President and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)

Executive branch — most recent election date

19 April 2023

Executive branch — 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%

Executive branch — expected date of next election

2028

Legislative branch — legislature name

National Assembly of the People's Power (Asamblea nacional del Poder popular)

Legislative branch — legislative structure

Unicameral

Legislative branch — number of seats

470 (all directly elected)

Legislative branch — electoral system

Other systems

Legislative branch — scope of elections

Full renewal

Legislative branch — term in office

5 years

Legislative branch — most recent election date

3/26/2023

Legislative branch — percentage of women in chamber

55.7%

Legislative branch — expected date of next election

March 2028

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)

Judicial branch — 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

Judicial branch — subordinate courts

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

Political parties

Cuban Communist Party or PCC

Diplomatic representation in the US — chief of mission

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

Diplomatic representation in the US — chancery

2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Diplomatic representation in the US — telephone

[1] (202) 797-8515

Diplomatic representation in the US — FAX

[1] (202) 797-8521

Diplomatic representation in the US — email address and website

Recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cu https://misiones.cubaminrex.cu/en/usa/embassy-cuba-usa

Diplomatic representation from the US — chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Mike HAMMER (since 14 November 2024)

Diplomatic representation from the US — embassy

Calzada between L & M Streets, Vedado, Havana

Diplomatic representation from the US — mailing address

3200 Havana Place, Washington DC 20521-3200

Diplomatic representation from the US — telephone

[53] (7) 839-4100

Diplomatic representation from the US — FAX

[53] (7) 839-4247

Diplomatic representation from the US — email address and website

Acshavana@state.gov https://cu.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

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

Independence

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

National holiday

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

Flag

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

National symbol(s)

Royal palm

National color(s)

Red, white, blue

National anthem(s) — title

"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song)

National anthem(s) — lyrics/music

Pedro FIGUEREDO

National anthem(s) — 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

National heritage — total World Heritage Sites

9 (7 cultural, 2 natural)

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)

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$81.165 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$81.985 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$83.597 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

-1.9% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.3% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$23,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$18,300 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$13,300 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$259.781 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

76.1% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

151.9% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

11.9% (2020 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

1.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

27.5% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

70% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

73.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

25.5% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

12.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

10% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

43.5% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-64.6% (2023 est.)

Agricultural products

Sugarcane, cassava, plantains, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, milk, tomatoes, pumpkins/squash, sweet potatoes, bananas (2023)

Industries

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

Industrial production growth rate

-0.9% (2023 est.)

Labor force

4.859 million (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2024

1.6% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2023

1.8% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

1.9% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

3.9% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

4.1% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

3.5% (2024 est.)

Budget — revenues

$54.52 billion (2017 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$64.64 billion (2017 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2016

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Exports — Exports 2020

$8.768 billion (2020 est.)

Exports — Exports 2019

$12.632 billion (2019 est.)

Exports — Exports 2018

$14.53 billion (2018 est.)

Exports - partners

China 34%, Spain 12%, Germany 6%, Switzerland 5%, Hong Kong 4% (2023)

Exports - commodities

Tobacco, nickel, liquor, zinc ore, precious metal ore (2023)

Imports — Imports 2020

$8.067 billion (2020 est.)

Imports — Imports 2019

$10.971 billion (2019 est.)

Imports — Imports 2018

$12.567 billion (2018 est.)

Imports - partners

Spain 24%, China 13%, Netherlands 10%, USA 9%, Canada 6% (2023)

Imports - commodities

Beer, poultry, rice, plastic products, soybean oil (2023)

Exchange rates — Currency

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

24 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

24 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

24 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

24 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

1 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity — installed generating capacity

7.264 million kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

11.951 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

3.352 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

95.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — wind

0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — hydroelectricity

0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — biomass and waste

2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — consumption

1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

25 metric tons (2023 est.)

Coal — imports

8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — total petroleum production

34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

118,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Petroleum — crude oil estimated reserves

124 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas — production

850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — consumption

850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Natural gas — proven reserves

70.792 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

26.07 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

1.59 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

15 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

8.01 million (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

73 (2024 est.)

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.cu

Internet users — percent of population

71% (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

327,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CU

Airports

120 (2025)

Heliports

4 (2025)

Railways — total

8,367 km (2017)

Railways — standard gauge

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

Railways — narrow gauge

172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

Merchant marine — total

65 (2023)

Merchant marine — by type

General cargo 13, oil tanker 10, other 42

Ports — total ports

34 (2024)

Ports — large

6

Ports — medium

3

Ports — small

10

Ports — very small

6

Ports — size unknown

9

Ports — ports with oil terminals

14

Ports — key ports

Antilla, Bahai de la Habana, Bahia de Sagua de Tanamo, Cabanas, Casilda, Cienfuegos, Nuevitas Bay, Puerto Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

Military and security forces

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 Producción y Defensa, BPD), Civil Defense Organization (Defensa Civil de Cuba) Ministry of Interior: National Revolutionary Police (Policía Nacional Revolucionaria, PNR), Directorate of Border Guard Troops (Dirección de Tropas de Guardia Fronteriza, TGF), Department of State Security (Departamento de Seguridad del Estado, DSE) (2025)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2020

4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2019

3.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2018

2.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2017

2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military expenditures — Military Expenditures 2016

3.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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

Military service age and obligation

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)

Military - note

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)

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — refugees

171 (2024 est.)

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

37,171 (2024 est.)

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