Capital

Kuba

name: Havana

geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W

time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting

etymology: the sites of Spanish colonial cities often retained their original Taino names; Habana, the Spanish name for the city, may be based on the name of a local Taino chief, HABAGUANEX

Citizenship

Kuba

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

Legal system

Kuba

civil law system based on Spanish civil code

Suffrage

Kuba

16 years of age; universal

Area

Kuba

total: 110,860 sq km

land: 109,820 sq km

water: 1,040 sq km

Land use

Kuba

agricultural land: 60.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 27.3% (2018 est.)

other: 12.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Kuba

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Age structure

Kuba

0-14 years: 16.39% (male 926,457/female 874,347)

15-64 years: 66.81% (male 3,692,573/female 3,647,316)

65 years and over: 16.8% (2023 est.) (male 835,005/female 1,010,276)

Birth rate

Kuba

10 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Kuba

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Kuba

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Kuba

total population: 79.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 77.5 years

female: 82.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Kuba

2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

Median age

Kuba

total: 42.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 40.8 years

female: 44.3 years

Net migration rate

Kuba

-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Kuba

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Population growth rate

Kuba

-0.19% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Kuba

1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Kuba

urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Kuba

NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Kuba

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Kuba

-10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Kuba

-6.75% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Kuba

5.135 million (2021 est.)

note: state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7%

Population below poverty line

Kuba

NA

Unemployment rate

Kuba

2.76% (2021 est.)

2.62% (2020 est.)

1.74% (2019 est.)

note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double

Public debt

Kuba

47.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Kuba

5.5% (2017 est.)

4.5% (2016 est.)

Exports

Kuba

$2.63 billion (2017 est.)

$2.546 billion (2016 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Kuba

China 38%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5% (2019)

Imports

Kuba

$11.06 billion (2017 est.)

$10.28 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - partners

Kuba

Spain 19%, China 15%, Italy 6%, Canada 5%, Russia 5%, United States 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Airports

Kuba

133 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Kuba

total: 231,654 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Kuba

total: 7.81 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 71% (2021 est.)

note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet"; issues relating to COVID-19 impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be different than published numbers suggest

Railways

Kuba

total: 8,367 km (2017)

standard gauge: 8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

Roadways

Kuba

total: 60,000 km (2015)

paved: 20,000 km (2001)

unpaved: 40,000 km (2001)

Telephones - fixed lines

Kuba

total subscriptions: 1,539,269 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Kuba

total subscriptions: 7,103,296 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Kuba

240 km (2011) (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers)

Disputes - international

Kuba

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease