Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Cuba instead of China, you would:
Health
see 73.2% more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cuba spends $2,575 as of 2023.
have 3.1 times more doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.
be 2.5 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.
be 54.1% more likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 62.1% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.
Life
have 27.3% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cuba, there are 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 2.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cuba, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 65.9% more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 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.
Basic Needs
be 23.1% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 57.9% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 74.2% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Cuba, that number is 3,735 km.
Safety
be 69.0% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cuba, they kill 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 8.9 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Cuba, that number is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2019.
Infrastructure
live with 42.3% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cuba withdraws 24% as of 2022.
find 93.5% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.
use 77.6% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cuba uses 1,462 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 51.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cuba, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 79.5% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Cuba
Cuba: At a glance
How big is Cuba compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.