Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Venezuela instead of Cuba, you would:
Health
be 37.4% less likely to die by suicide
Cuba has a suicide rate of 13.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Venezuela, it is 8.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.6 years less
In Cuba, the average life expectancy is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Venezuela, that number is 73 years (69 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
see 92.8% less spent on your healthcare
Cuba spends $2,575 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Venezuela spends $186 as of 2023.
Economy
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Cuba, 1.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Venezuela, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.
Life
have 76.7% more children
In Cuba, there are approximately 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Venezuela, there are 15.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 6.5 times more 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 Venezuela, 227.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.1 times more likely to die during infancy
In Cuba, approximately 6.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Venezuela, on the other hand, 21.2 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 59.7% less on healthcare
Cuba spends 9.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Venezuela, that number is 3.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 25.0% less coastline
Cuba has a total of 3,735 km of coastline. In Venezuela, that number is 2,800 km.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to be murdered
Cuba has a homicide rate of 4.5 per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Venezuela, that number is 12.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
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 Venezuela, they kill 13.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.2 times more home broadband
Cuba has 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Venezuela has 12.9 as of 2024.
live with 68.5% less strain on fresh water
Cuba withdraws 24% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Venezuela withdraws 8% as of 2022.
use 33.6% more electricity
Cuba uses 1,462 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Venezuela uses 1,953 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 77.5% more CO2
Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Venezuela emits 3.4 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Cuba vs. Venezuela
Venezuela: At a glance
How big is Venezuela compared to Cuba? See an in-depth size comparison.