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

Health

see 21.7% more spent on your healthcare

Cuba spends $2,575 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Uruguay spends $3,135 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 52.1% more likely to be obese

In Cuba, 23.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Uruguay, that number is 35.0% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 51.0% fewer doctors per person

Cuba has 95.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Uruguay has 46.7 as of 2022.

View global rankings →

be 79.5% more likely to die by suicide

Cuba has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Uruguay, it is 24.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Cuba, 1.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Uruguay, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 57.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Cuba, approximately 35.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Uruguay, 15.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

have 13.7% more children

In Cuba, there are approximately 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Uruguay, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 30.5% more likely to have internet access

In Cuba, approximately 70.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Uruguay, about 92.0% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 43.6% less on education

Cuba spends 8.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Uruguay spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 82.3% less coastline

Cuba has a total of 3,735 km of coastline. In Uruguay, that number is 660 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 2.4 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Cuba, road accidents kill 5.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Uruguay, they kill 13.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 10.7 times more home broadband

Cuba has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Uruguay has 33.0 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 49.7% less strain on fresh water

Cuba withdraws 24% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Uruguay withdraws 12% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 2.6 times more electricity

Cuba uses 1,462 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Uruguay uses 3,790 kWh as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 48.4% less likely to die from air pollution

In Cuba, air pollution causes 31.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Uruguay, it causes 16.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 34.6% more CO2

Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Uruguay emits 2.6 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


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

Uruguay: At a glance

Uruguay is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 175,015 sq km. Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a military stronghold, soon took advantage of its natural harbor to become an important commercial center. Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821, Uruguay declared its independence four years later and secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle. The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the early 20th century launched widespread political, social, and economic reforms that established a statist tradition. A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to cede control of the government to the military in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold over the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. In 2004, the left-of-center Frente Amplio Coalition won national elections that effectively ended 170 years of political control previously held by the Colorado and Blanco parties. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent.
Read more

How big is Uruguay compared to Cuba? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Uruguay or Cuba. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.