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Photo: Rastapopulous · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 06 of 12 · Country Index 2026
Cuba: Development & Human Capital
Is a country turning its resources into better lives?
Cuba is placed joint 104th of 194 countries on development & human capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Maternal Mortality Ratio 34.79 (2023); Human Development Index 0.762 (2023).
Development & Human Capital
joint104th
of 194 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Cuba on development & human capital — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country in that edition, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Maternal Mortality Ratio
UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG)
Why it is a key: Whether a woman survives giving birth — the reach of a health system at the moment it is hardest to fake.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
34.79
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births
Lower is better
Cuba: 34.79. Across the 195 countries in this edition, values run from 0.11 (Cook Islands) to 992.83 (Nigeria); the world median is 46.65.
- World median
- 46.65
- Best in Caribbean
- 11.03 Puerto Rico
Each grey tick is one of 195 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 2 of 3
Human Development Index
UNDP Human Development Report Office
Why it is a key: The standard composite of health, schooling and income, carrying UNDP's own published rank.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
0.762
HDI score (0–1)
Higher is better
Ranked 97th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office
Cuba: 0.762. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0.388 (South Sudan) to 0.972 (Iceland); the world median is 0.762.
- World median
- 0.762
- Best in Caribbean
- 0.851 Antigua and Barbuda
Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2023 edition.
Key 3 of 3
Cereal Yield
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Why it is a key: How much food a hectare of land produces: the clearest single measure of agricultural productivity.
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 4.0
2,070
Cereal yield (kg per hectare)
Higher is better
Cuba: 2,070. Across the 179 countries in this edition, values run from 23 (Cabo Verde) to 29,147 (Oman); the world median is 3,072.
- World median
- 3,072
- Best in Caribbean
- 14,067 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Each grey tick is one of 179 countries in the 2023 edition.
02Over time
Which way Cuba is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Maternal Mortality Ratio
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births · lower is better
CubaWorld median
Cuba fell from 48.2 in 2000 to 34.79 in 2023; the world median went from 70.99 to 46.65.
Every year’s figures
Year Cuba World median 2023 34.79 46.7 2022 40.95 53.0 2021 171.68 76.6 2020 39.95 56.0 2019 39.72 48.4 2018 39.18 49.3 2017 39.26 47.2 2016 40.46 50.6 2015 41.48 51.9 2014 42.15 52.8 2013 42.28 53.3 2012 42.49 54.6 2011 43.59 55.0 2010 43.88 56.1 2009 44.99 56.3 2008 43.63 55.8 2007 41.89 56.8 2006 41.99 58.1 2005 42.95 60.1 2004 44.13 63.0 2003 44.37 66.8 2002 45.36 66.0 2001 46.23 68.1 2000 48.20 71.0 Human Development Index
HDI score (0–1) · higher is better
CubaWorld median
Cuba rose from 0.697 in 2000 to 0.762 in 2023; the world median went from 0.672 to 0.762.
Every year’s figures
Year Cuba World median 2023 0.762 0.7620 2022 0.764 0.7610 2021 0.745 0.7450 2020 0.762 0.7425 2019 0.769 0.7515 2018 0.769 0.7520 2017 0.767 0.7480 2016 0.767 0.7500 2015 0.769 0.7430 2014 0.770 0.7410 2013 0.771 0.7390 2012 0.777 0.7350 2011 0.781 0.7250 2010 0.783 0.7250 2009 0.788 0.7220 2008 0.788 0.7180 2007 0.780 0.7100 2006 0.766 0.7045 2005 0.747 0.6960 2004 0.734 0.6960 2003 0.721 0.6910 2002 0.711 0.6845 2001 0.705 0.6770 2000 0.697 0.6720 Cereal Yield
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) · higher is better
CubaWorld median
Cuba fell from 2,528 in 2000 to 2,070 in 2023; the world median went from 2,170 to 3,072.
Every year’s figures
Year Cuba World median 2023 2,070 3,072 2022 2,089 3,217 2021 2,409 3,003 2020 2,572 3,260 2019 2,833 3,106 2018 2,877 2,883 2017 2,854 2,984 2016 2,939 3,043 2015 2,965 3,000 2014 2,814 3,001 2013 2,904 2,970 2012 2,803 2,782 2011 2,619 2,754 2010 1,937 2,647 2009 2,069 2,653 2008 2,674 2,664 2007 2,913 2,553 2006 2,783 2,514 2005 2,562 2,512 2004 2,922 2,428 2003 3,189 2,331 2002 3,123 2,378 2001 2,881 2,199 2000 2,528 2,170
03In context
Cuba beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 194 countries on development & human capital, never a place within the region.
1st194thNot placed · 30 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
Cuba and Caribbean
Cuba has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. The standing is each country’s place among all 194 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Maternal Mortality RatioMaternal deaths per 100,000 live births | Human Development IndexHDI score (0–1) | Cereal YieldCereal yield (kg per hectare) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 57th | 55.84 | 0.798 | 14,067 |
 Puerto Rico | 61st | 11.03 | — | 3,612 |
 Bahamas | 64th | 75.95 | 0.82 | 7,598 |
 Barbados | 84th | 34.88 | 0.811 | 2,797 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 92nd | 73.52 | 0.84 | — |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 93rd | 34.57 | 0.851 | 1,941 |
 Dominican Republic | 97th | 124.47 | 0.776 | 4,376 |
 Saint Lucia | 101st | 43.96 | 0.748 | — |
| Cuba | =104th | 34.79 | 0.762 | 2,070 |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 113th | 54.08 | 0.807 | 1,600 |
 Dominica | 115th | 35.55 | 0.761 | 1,682 |
 Grenada | 122nd | 48.25 | 0.791 | 998.8 |
 Jamaica | 147th | 130.14 | 0.72 | 1,140 |
 Haiti | 174th | 327.56 | 0.554 | 1,063 |
 Anguilla | not placed | — | — | — |
 Aruba | not placed | — | — | — |
 British Virgin Islands | not placed | — | — | — |
 Cayman Islands | not placed | — | — | — |
 Curaçao | not placed | — | — | — |
 Montserrat | not placed | — | — | — |
 Saint Martin | not placed | — | — | — |
 Sint Maarten | not placed | — | — | — |
 Turks and Caicos Islands | not placed | — | — | — |
 United States Virgin Islands | not placed | — | — | — |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across Caribbean
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 194.
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines57th
- Puerto Rico61st
- Bahamas64th
- Barbados84th
- Saint Kitts and Nevis92nd
- Antigua and Barbuda93rd
- Dominican Republic97th
- Saint Lucia101st
- Cuba=104th
- Trinidad and Tobago113th
- Dominica115th
- Grenada122nd
- Jamaica147th
- Haiti174th
- Anguillanot placed
- Arubanot placed
- British Virgin Islandsnot placed
- Cayman Islandsnot placed
- Curaçaonot placed
- Montserratnot placed
- Saint Martinnot placed
- Sint Maartennot placed
- Turks and Caicos Islandsnot placed
- United States Virgin Islandsnot placed
Placed either side on development & human capital
The countries immediately above and below Cuba in the topic’s list.
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04Context, no vote
Where Cuba is ahead of the world, and behind
24 more statistics filed under development & human capital, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median12
Statistics on which Cuba does better than the middle country measured.
Violent Discipline of ChildrenUNICEF · 2025 · world median 75.841.675.8No earlier reading
Cuba: 41.6 · world median 75.8 · Children aged 1-14 experiencing violent discipline (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 37.6 to 94; lower is better.
Position 88th of 90 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0030.039▼ Worsened since 2020
Cuba: 0.003 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 96th of 109 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 13.87.12713.8No earlier reading
Cuba: 7.127 · world median 13.8 · Children under 5 who are stunted (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.518 to 52.8; lower is better.
Position 120th of 162 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Life Expectancy at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 74.6378.0974.63▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 78.09 · world median 74.63 · Years a newborn would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 54.46 to 86.37; higher is better.
Position 66th of 222 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Under-Five Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 14.548.55914.54▼ Worsened since 2014
Cuba: 8.559 · world median 14.54 · Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.26 to 115.65; lower is better.
Position 137th of 200 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Planetary pressures-adjusted HDIUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6780.7230.678▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 0.723 · world median 0.678 · PHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.276 to 0.827; higher is better.
Position 51st of 156 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Completeness of Birth RegistrationUNICEF · 2025 · world median 98.499.898.4No earlier reading
Cuba: 99.8 · world median 98.4 · Children under 5 whose birth is registered (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.7 to 100; higher is better.
Social Protection CoverageILO · 2025 · world median 52.163.952.1No earlier reading
Cuba: 63.9 · world median 52.1 · Population covered by at least one social protection benefit (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.93310.639.933▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 10.63 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 81st of 193 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2960.351▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 0.296 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 75th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9750.971▲ Improved since 2013
Cuba: 0.975 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 79th of 184 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3413.8813.34▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 13.88 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 89th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median7
Statistics on which Cuba does worse than the middle country measured.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Under Six MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 40.7440.5540.74No earlier reading
Cuba: 40.55 · world median 40.74 · Infants under 6 months exclusively breastfed (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.497 to 83.3; higher is better.
Position 70th of 136 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Child MarriageUNICEF · 2025 · world median 17.129.417.1No earlier reading
Cuba: 29.4 · world median 17.1 · Women 20–24 married before 18 (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.3; lower is better.
Position 35th of 143 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Organic Agricultural AreaFAO · 2024 · world median 0.7250.080.725▲ Improved since 2014
Cuba: 0.08 · world median 0.725 · Organic share of agricultural land (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 86.38; higher is better.
Position 120th of 150 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Livestock Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 107.0687.4107.06▼ Worsened since 2012
Cuba: 87.4 · world median 107.06 · Livestock production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 35.52 to 190.08; higher is better.
Position 181st of 194 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Crop Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.2365.76106.23▼ Worsened since 2012
Cuba: 65.76 · world median 106.23 · Crop production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 53.79 to 189.93; higher is better.
Position 193rd of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Food Production IndexFAO · 2022 · world median 106.0871.39106.08▼ Worsened since 2012
Cuba: 71.39 · world median 106.08 · Food production index (2014–2016 = 100). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 71.08 to 177.49; higher is better.
Position 194th of 195 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Cost of Sending RemittancesWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 3.22519.633.225▼ Worsened since 2016
Cuba: 19.63 · world median 3.225 · Average cost of sending $200 home (% of the amount). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from -49.69 to 19.63; lower is better.
Position 1st of 93 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 100100100▲ Improved since 2014
Cuba: 100 · world median 100 · Population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 5.4 to 100; higher is better.
No better end4
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Arable Land per PersonFAO · 2023 · world median 0.1090.2640.109No real change since 2013
Cuba: 0.264 · world median 0.109 · Arable land (hectares per person). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1.459.
Position 35th of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Water Withdrawal by SectorFAO · 2022 · world median 62.1464.9462.14No real change since 2012
Cuba: 64.94 · world median 62.14 · Freshwater withdrawn for agriculture (% of total). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2022 edition, data for 2022.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 99.48.
Position 84th of 171 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Children with Functional DifficultiesUNICEF · 2024 · world median 1311.513No earlier reading
Cuba: 11.5 · world median 13 · Children aged 5-17 with a functional difficulty (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.9 to 35.2.
Land Under Cereal ProductionFAO · 2023 · world median 689,278142,254689,278Moved since 2013
Cuba: 142,254 · world median 689,278 · Land under cereal production (hectares). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 103,715,108.
Position 129th of 179 — derived here by ordering the published values, counted from the highest value. The publisher ranks no country on this.
No current reading for Cuba
Account Ownership at a Financial Institution, Agricultural Irrigated Land, Agriculture Orientation Index (last 2019), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP) (last 2024), Cereal Import Dependency Ratio (last 2015), Coefficient of Human Inequality, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Dietary Energy Supply, GDP per Capita (PPP), Gini Index, Global Report on Food Crises, GNI per Capita (PPP), Household Consumption (last 2024), Human Capital Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) (last 2024), Net Official Development Assistance Received (last 2019), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Undernourishment (last 2006), Prosperity Gap and Statistical Performance Indicators. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
05Country Index 2026
Development & Human Capital among Cuba’s 10 topics
Development & Human Capital is Cuba’s 4th best-placed topic of 10. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Health & Wellbeing56th of 2012/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 78th of 1824/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge81st of 1823/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 104th of 1943/3 keys
- Peace & Security100th of 1772/3 keys
- Risk & Resilience121st of 1913/3 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 125th of 1934/5 keys
- Environment & Sustainability133rd of 1613/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties169th of 1983/3 keys
- Mobility & Connectivity141st of 1472/3 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Gender & Equality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on development & human capital
The three countries placed highest of 194, and the leaders Cuba can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
BelgiumWestern Europe
2nd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Gf uip · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
GermanyWestern Europe
3rd of 194 · 3 of 3 keys
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Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
United States22nd3/3 keysHighest in Caribbean
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines57th3/3 keysThis page
Cuba=104th3/3 keys
Positions out of 194 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Cuba and development & human capital
On development & human capital
Global Hunger Index 2025: Countries with the Most Alarming Hunger Crisis
Thirteen countries scored across four editions — 2000, 2008, 2016 and 2025 — and five the report could not score at all. DR Congo and South Sudan share 121st place on 37.5.
On development & human capital
India vs Pakistan 2025: Comparison of Hunger Index, Happiness, HDI, Rule of Law, Literacy & GDP
India and Pakistan on six published measures: hunger, happiness, human development, rule of law, literacy and GDP per capita. India is the better placed on five of them; Pakistan on one.
08Questions
Cuba on development & human capital: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Cuba rank on development & human capital?
Cuba is placed joint 104th of 194 countries on Development & Human Capital in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Maternal Mortality Ratio, Human Development Index and Cereal Yield). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Maternal Mortality Ratio figure for Cuba?
34.79 in 2023 (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births), according to UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG). The world median in the same edition was 46.65.
What is the latest Human Development Index figure for Cuba?
0.762 in 2023 (hDI score (0–1)), according to UNDP Human Development Report Office. The world median in the same edition was 0.762.
How have Cuba’s development & human capital figures changed?
Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 48.2 in 2000 to 34.79 in 2023; Human Development Index rose from 0.697 in 2000 to 0.762 in 2023; Cereal Yield fell from 2,528 in 2000 to 2,070 in 2023.
Which development & human capital statistics are missing for Cuba?
No current reading is published for Cuba on Account Ownership at a Financial Institution, Agricultural Irrigated Land, Agriculture Orientation Index, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added (% of GDP), Cereal Import Dependency Ratio, Coefficient of Human Inequality, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Dietary Energy Supply, GDP per Capita (PPP), Gini Index, Global Report on Food Crises, GNI per Capita (PPP), Household Consumption, Human Capital Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP), Net Official Development Assistance Received, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Undernourishment, Prosperity Gap and Statistical Performance Indicators. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Keep reading
Explore further
Cuba, topic by topic
- Governance & Institutions=125th of 193
- Work & Labour=78th of 182
- Education & Knowledge81st of 182
- Health & Wellbeing56th of 201
- Environment & Sustainability133rd of 161
- Democracy & Civil Liberties169th of 198
- Peace & Security100th of 177
- Risk & Resilience121st of 191
- Mobility & Connectivity141st of 147
- The full Cuba profile
Nearby, on development & human capital
The key statistics, for every country
10Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Poverty lines, inequality and aid received are published here as context rather than as keys, often because they cover fewer countries or are measured too rarely. Development is also not the same as economic size or growth, which belong to Economy & Innovation.
How the Development & Human Capital standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 49 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. All of them describe 2023.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 194 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Maternal Mortality Ratio — UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Human Development Index — UNDP Human Development Report Office, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Cereal Yield — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 24 statistics on this page come from 9 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Cuba’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Cuba (banner) — Rastapopulous, CC BY-SA 3.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belgium — Gf uip, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Germany — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Cuba: Development & Human Capital — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/cuba/development