If you lived in Cuba instead of Chad, you would:

Health

live 23.0 years longer

In Chad, the average life expectancy is 55 years (53 years for men, 57 years for women) as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 19.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Chad spends $130 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cuba spends $2,575 as of 2023.

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have 112.3 times more doctors per person

Chad has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.

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have 2.9 times more access to essential health services

Chad scores 29 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cuba scores 83 as of 2021.

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be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In Chad, 7.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.

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be 2.6 times more likely to die by suicide

Chad has a suicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 65.1% more likely to be unemployed

In Chad, 1.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 95.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Chad, approximately 748.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cuba, 35.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.7 times more likely to be literate

In Chad, the literacy rate is 26.8% as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 99.7% as of 2021.

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be 87.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Chad, approximately 56.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Cuba, on the other hand, 6.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 80.1% fewer children

In Chad, there are approximately 43.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cuba, there are 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 8.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Chad, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (48% in urban areas, and 0% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 5.6 times more likely to have internet access

In Chad, approximately 12.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.

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be 82.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Chad, approximately 52% of people have access to drinking water (78% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 95% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.6 times more on education

Chad spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 87.6% more on healthcare

Chad spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 79.5% less likely to die in a road accident

In Chad, road accidents kill 26.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cuba, they kill 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

use 106.5 times more electricity

Chad uses 14 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cuba uses 1,462 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 5.6 times more strain on fresh water

Chad withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cuba withdraws 24% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 67.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Chad, air pollution causes 95.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cuba, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.

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emit 13.6 times more CO2

Chad emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Cuba: At a glance

Cuba is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 109,820 sq km. 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. Subsequently, the 1901 Platt Amendment to the Cuban constitution authorized the US to intevene in Cuba in the event of instability. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US 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 iron 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. 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 if its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the US's southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard interdicted 1,357 Cuban nationals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2013. Also in 2013, 14,251 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry through out the US.
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