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

Health

be 97.4% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Swaziland, 23.4% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 0.6% of people as of 2024.

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live 14.0 years longer

In Swaziland, the average life expectancy is 64 years (61 years for men, 67 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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be 22.4% less likely to be obese

In Swaziland, 29.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.

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see 2.8 times more spent on your healthcare

Swaziland spends $922 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cuba spends $2,575 as of 2023.

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have 17.1 times more doctors per person

Swaziland has 5.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.

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have 48.2% more access to essential health services

Swaziland scores 56 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cuba scores 83 as of 2021.

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be 49.4% less likely to die by suicide

Swaziland has a suicide rate of 27.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 94.9% less likely to be unemployed

In Swaziland, 34.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.

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Life

be 70.3% less likely to die during childbirth

In Swaziland, approximately 118.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cuba, 35.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 83.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Swaziland, approximately 42.2 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.

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have 63.6% fewer children

In Swaziland, there are approximately 23.6 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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Basic Needs

be 15.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Swaziland, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (91% in urban areas, and 85% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 11.2% more likely to have internet access

In Swaziland, approximately 63.4% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.

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be 18.4% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Swaziland, approximately 80% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 95% of people on average (96% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 40.0% more on education

Swaziland spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 25.1% more on healthcare

Swaziland spends 7.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 64.3% less likely to be murdered

Swaziland has a homicide rate of 12.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, that number is 4.5 per 100,000 as of 2019.

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be 78.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Swaziland, road accidents kill 24.7 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 22.7% more home broadband

Swaziland has 2.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.

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live with 69.1% less strain on fresh water

Swaziland withdraws 78% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cuba withdraws 24% as of 2022.

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use 21.9% more electricity

Swaziland uses 1,200 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cuba uses 1,462 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

be 53.0% less likely to die from air pollution

In Swaziland, air pollution causes 66.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cuba, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.2 times more CO2

Swaziland emits 0.9 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 (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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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