Country explorer: Cuba

Cuba's economy has shown modest GDP per capita growth with data suggesting incremental improvements, but it stands out with uniquely low unemployment rates compared to its regional peers and upper-middle-income countries, reflecting its distinctive state-run economic model.

Cuba has experienced a gradual decrease in population growth, consistent net migration loss, declining fertility rates reflective of aging demographics, and high life expectancy, trends common amongst upper-middle-income countries but distinctive in the Caribbean for its pronounced longevity despite economic challenges.

Cuba has made significant strides in basic needs, showing a consistent improvement in access to clean fuels for cooking and electricity, while facing challenges in achieving substantial progress in safely managed sanitation, distinguishing it by its comprehensive efforts to enhance living standards amidst the complexities faced by many upper-middle-income countries.

Cuba has shown notable progress in human development, with significant improvements in the Human Development Index, reduced child mortality rates, and high literacy rates, distinctly ranking it above many of its regional peers and reflecting its commitment to health and education.

Cuba has showcased a transformative environmental and energy landscape marked by a significant increase in forest area, a steady decrease in per capita CO2 emissions including land-use change, a progressive expansion of electricity production from renewable sources—especially from bioenergy and a notable growth in solar and wind power—and the management of its renewable freshwater resources amidst an evolving global climate, encapsulating both unique environmental stewardship and common challenges faced by island nations globally.

Cuba has shown progressive adaptation to the digital era with steadily increasing internet usage and mobile subscriptions, alongside a notable commitment to research and development, placing it on a distinctive path of technological engagement compared to some of its regional peers.

Cuba has witnessed a gradual decrease in gender inequality, a relatively stable but slightly declining age dependency ratio, alongside modest fluctuations in the percentage of the population born abroad and self-reported life satisfaction, highlighting its unique social resilience and gradual progress in gender parity compared to its regional peers.

Cuba has showcased minimal progress in governance metrics, maintaining a consistently low rule of law, lingering perceptions of corruption, restricted civil liberties, and limited press freedom, thereby emphasizing its enduring authoritarian governance structure in contrast to more liberal trajectories observed in regional peers and upper-middle-income countries.