Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Cuba instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 3.5 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 3.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Cuba spends $2,575 as of 2023.
have 8.6 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Cuba has 95.4 as of 2021.
have 22.1% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Cuba scores 83 as of 2021.
be 9.6 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Cuba, that number is 23.0% of people as of 2024.
be 88.9% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Cuba, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 15.1% more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Cuba, that number is 1.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 27.1% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Cuba, 35.0 women do as of 2023.
be 43.3% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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.
have 35.8% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 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 16.2% less likely to have internet access
In Vietnam, approximately 84.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Cuba, about 70.5% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 2.9 times more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Cuba spends 8.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Cuba, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 69.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Vietnam, road accidents kill 17.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Cuba, they kill 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 87.0% less home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Cuba has 3.1 as of 2024.
live with 32.0% more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Cuba withdraws 24% as of 2022.
use 43.5% less electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Cuba uses 1,462 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 40.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Cuba, it causes 31.0 as of 2019.
emit 55.3% less CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. Cuba
Cuba: At a glance
How big is Cuba compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.