Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 5.1 years less

In Macau, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 86 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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Economy

be 25.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Macau, 2.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.

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Life

have 62.6% more children

In Macau, there are approximately 5.3 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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be 48.1% more likely to die during infancy

In Macau, approximately 4.6 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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Basic Needs

be 21.5% less likely to have internet access

In Macau, approximately 89.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.4 times more on education

Macau spends 3.5% 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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Geography

see 91.1 times more coastline

Macau has a total of 41 km of coastline. In Cuba, that number is 3,735 km.

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Infrastructure

find 89.7% less home broadband

Macau has 29.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 24.5% less CO2

Macau emits 2.5 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 (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Macau vs. Cuba

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Cuba is 53.1% cheaper than Macau overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Macau is about 3,931 times smaller than Cuba.
→
Moving from Macau 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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How big is Cuba compared to Macau? See an in-depth size comparison.

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