Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Cuba instead of Cook Islands, you would:

Health

live 1.1 years longer

In Cook Islands, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2022. In Cuba, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 68.2% less likely to be obese

In Cook Islands, 72.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.

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have 7.1 times more doctors per person

Cook Islands has 13.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.

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have 80.4% more access to essential health services

Cook Islands scores 46 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cuba scores 83 as of 2021.

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Life

be 57.3% less likely to die during infancy

In Cook Islands, approximately 15.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Cuba, on the other hand, 6.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 28.8% fewer children

In Cook Islands, there are approximately 12.1 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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Expenditures

spend 83.5% more on education

Cook Islands spends 4.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 2.9 times more on healthcare

Cook Islands spends 3.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 31.1 times more coastline

Cook Islands has a total of 120 km of coastline. In Cuba, that number is 3,735 km.

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Safety

be 69.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Cook Islands, road accidents kill 17.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cuba, they kill 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 83.1% less home broadband

Cook Islands has 18.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.

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Sources: The World Factbook (2020–2024), World Bank (2021–2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Cook Islands vs. Cuba

Cost of Living Comparison · 5 categories - 2026 data
Cuba is 34.3% cheaper than Cook Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Cook Islands is about 470 times smaller than Cuba.
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Moving from Cook Islands to Cuba · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

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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