Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Cuba instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 8.1 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.0 times more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cuba spends $2,575 as of 2023.
have 4.9 times more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.
have 10.7% more access to essential health services
Turkmenistan scores 75 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cuba scores 83 as of 2021.
be 2.0 times more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 59.0% less likely to be unemployed
In Turkmenistan, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 77.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 7.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cuba, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
have 58.8% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Cuba, there are 8.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 2.8 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 96.7% more on education
Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 70.5% more on healthcare
Turkmenistan spends 5.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 32.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cuba, they kill 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 82.3% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cuba withdraws 24% as of 2022.
find 41.0% less home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.
use 47.4% less electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cuba uses 1,462 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 64.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cuba, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 82.4% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Cuba emits 1.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. Cuba
Cuba: At a glance
How big is Cuba compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.