Photo: Rastapopulous · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 05 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Cuba: Health & Wellbeing
How long, and how well fed, do people live?
Cuba is placed 56th of 200 countries on health & wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Life Expectancy at Birth 78.09 (2023); Under-Five Mortality Rate 8.559 (2024).
Share
Health & Wellbeing
56th
of 200 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 4 key statistics
- 78.09Life Expectancy at Birth, 2023Years a newborn would live at current death rates
- 8.559Under-Five Mortality Rate, 2024Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
- 7.127Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five, 2024Children under 5 who are stunted (%)
- —Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, 2024No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Cuba on health & wellbeing — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Life Expectancy at Birth
UN DESA Population Division
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
78.09
Years a newborn would live at current death rates
Higher is better
Cuba: 78.09. Across the 222 countries in this edition, values run from 54.46 (Nigeria) to 86.37 (Monaco); the world median is 74.63.
- World median
- 74.63
- Best in Caribbean
- 81.69 Puerto Rico
Key 2 of 4
Under-Five Mortality Rate
UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
8.559
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)
Lower is better
Cuba: 8.559. Across the 200 countries in this edition, values run from 1.26 (San Marino) to 115.65 (Nigeria); the world median is 14.54.
- World median
- 14.54
- Best in Caribbean
- 4.653 Turks and Caicos Islands
Key 3 of 4
Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five
UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Cuba’s is from 2019 · CC BY 3.0 IGO
7.127
Children under 5 who are stunted (%)
Lower is better
Cuba: 7.127. Across the 162 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.518 (Latvia) to 52.8 (Burundi); the world median is 13.8.
- World median
- 13.8
- Best in Caribbean
- 2.485 Saint Lucia
Key 4 of 4
Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0
No reading
Population in severe food insecurity (%)
Lower is better
FAO publishes no 2024 figure for Cuba, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 125 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Brazil) to 62.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 4.9.
- World median
- 4.9
- Best in Caribbean
- 4.4 Grenada
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.
Life Expectancy at Birth
Years a newborn would live at current death rates · higher is better
CubaWorld median
Cuba rose from 75.92 in 2000 to 78.09 in 2023; the world median went from 70.68 to 74.63.
Every year’s figures
Year Cuba World median 2023 78.086 74.630 2022 77.629 74.313 2021 73.201 72.433 2020 77.408 73.063 2019 77.413 74.196 2018 77.426 74.081 2017 77.300 74.029 2016 77.571 74.013 2015 77.745 73.783 2014 77.825 73.330 2013 78.028 73.386 2012 78.162 73.210 2011 78.051 73.003 2010 77.876 72.827 2009 77.584 72.426 2008 77.589 72.264 2007 77.550 72.113 2006 77.406 72.027 2005 77.540 71.876 2004 77.326 71.477 2003 77.405 71.409 2002 76.766 71.173 2001 76.429 70.926 2000 75.922 70.678 Under-Five Mortality Rate
Deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) · lower is better
CubaWorld median
Cuba fell from 8.574 in 2000 to 8.559 in 2024; the world median went from 30.43 to 14.54.
Every year’s figures
Year Cuba World median 2024 8.56 14.5 2023 8.21 15.2 2022 7.85 14.7 2021 7.49 15.1 2020 7.16 15.3 2019 6.88 15.7 2018 6.63 16.3 2017 6.43 16.8 2016 6.26 17.5 2015 6.14 17.9 2014 6.07 18.3 2013 6.04 18.7 2012 6.05 18.8 2011 6.10 19.0 2010 6.20 19.2 2009 6.31 20.8 2008 6.46 20.7 2007 6.64 21.8 2006 6.85 22.8 2005 7.09 24.0 2004 7.35 25.9 2003 7.62 26.9 2002 7.92 28.0 2001 8.23 29.1 2000 8.57 30.4
03In context
Cuba beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 200 countries on health & wellbeing, never a place within the region.
Cuba and Caribbean
Cuba has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 200; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Life Expectancy at BirthYears a newborn would live at current death rates | Under-Five Mortality RateDeaths before age five (per 1,000 live births) | Stunting Prevalence in Children Under FiveChildren under 5 who are stunted (%) | Prevalence of Severe Food InsecurityPopulation in severe food insecurity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Turks and Caicos Islands | 39th | 78.01 | 4.653 | 4.61 | — |
 Anguilla | 48th | 79.31 | 5.608 | — | — |
| Cuba | 56th | 78.09 | 8.559 | 7.127 | — |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 66th | 77.6 | 9.051 | — | — |
 Montserrat | =67th | 76.19 | 6.354 | — | — |
 British Virgin Islands | 77th | 77.28 | 12.38 | — | — |
 Barbados | 78th | 76.18 | 9.764 | 7.708 | — |
 Bahamas | 96th | 74.55 | 12.36 | — | — |
 Grenada | 103rd | 75.21 | 17.96 | — | 4.4 |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 109th | 71.23 | 11.28 | — | — |
 Dominican Republic | 114th | 73.72 | 30.63 | 6.717 | 16.4 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis | 117th | 72.14 | 15.85 | — | — |
 Jamaica | 120th | 71.48 | 17.79 | 4.641 | 27.4 |
 Saint Lucia | 121st | 72.7 | 17.24 | 2.485 | — |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 127th | 73.49 | 18.78 | 9.191 | 6.9 |
 Dominica | 144th | 71.13 | 35.66 | — | — |
 Haiti | 176th | 64.94 | 52.75 | 21.98 | 45.4 |
 Aruba | not placed | 76.35 | — | — | — |
 Cayman Islands | not placed | 80.36 | — | — | — |
 Curaçao | not placed | 76.8 | — | — | — |
 Puerto Rico | not placed | 81.69 | — | — | — |
 Saint Martin | not placed | 80.22 | — | — | — |
 Sint Maarten | not placed | 76.37 | — | — | — |
 United States Virgin Islands | not placed | 75.47 | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Caribbean
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 200.
- Turks and Caicos Islands39th
- Anguilla48th
- Cuba56th
- Antigua and Barbuda66th
- Montserrat=67th
- British Virgin Islands77th
- Barbados78th
- Bahamas96th
- Grenada103rd
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines109th
- Dominican Republic114th
- Saint Kitts and Nevis117th
- Jamaica120th
- Saint Lucia121st
- Trinidad and Tobago127th
- Dominica144th
- Haiti176th
- Arubanot placed
- Cayman Islandsnot placed
- Curaçaonot placed
- Puerto Riconot placed
- Saint Martinnot placed
- Sint Maartennot placed
- United States Virgin Islandsnot placed
Placed either side on health & wellbeing
The countries immediately above and below Cuba in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Cuba is ahead of the world, and behind
40 more statistics filed under health & wellbeing, 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 median25
Statistics on which Cuba does better than the middle country measured.
Postnatal Care for Newborns Within Two DaysUNICEF · 2025 · world median 82.999.982.9No earlier reading
Cuba: 99.9 · world median 82.9 · Newborns with a health check within 2 days of birth (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.3 to 99.9; higher is better.
Position 1st of 109 · derived.
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, 1st = worst.
Immunisation Coverage, Measles First Dose (MCV1)WUENIC · 2025 · world median 909990▲ Improved since 2015
Cuba: 99 · world median 90 · Infants given a first dose of measles vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13 to 99; higher is better.
Immunisation Coverage, DTP3WUENIC · 2025 · world median 919991▲ Improved since 2015
Cuba: 99 · world median 91 · Infants given a third dose of DTP vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 39 to 99; higher is better.
HPV Vaccination Coverage, GirlsWUENIC · 2025 · world median 65.59465.5No earlier reading
Cuba: 94 · world median 65.5 · Girls in the target group given the final dose of HPV vaccine (%). WHO and UNICEF (WUENIC), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 99; higher is better.
Care-Seeking for Children with Symptoms of PneumoniaUNICEF · 2024 · world median 67.789.667.7No earlier reading
Cuba: 89.6 · world median 67.7 · Children under 5 with pneumonia symptoms taken to a health provider (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 14 to 99.1; higher is better.
Position 12th of 127 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.999.896.9No earlier reading
Cuba: 99.8 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
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, 1st = worst.
Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern MethodsUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 71.2584.271.25▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 84.2 · world median 71.25 · Share of women aged 15–49 wanting to avoid pregnancy who use a modern method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.4 to 92.4; higher is better.
Position 27th of 196 · derived.
Minimum Dietary Diversity, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 37.5757.9337.57No earlier reading
Cuba: 57.93 · world median 37.57 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at least 5 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 8.089 to 85.88; higher is better.
Position 26th of 115 · derived.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.269.42721.26No earlier reading
Cuba: 9.427 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 87th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Low Birthweight PrevalenceUNICEF and WHO (Joint Low Birthweight Estimates) · 2020 · world median 10.217.06210.21▲ Improved since 2010
Cuba: 7.062 · world median 10.21 · Live births weighing under 2,500 g (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Low Birthweight Estimates), 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 3.993 to 27.44; lower is better.
Position 120th of 158 · derived, 1st = worst.
Wasting Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 3.5462.0443.546No earlier reading
Cuba: 2.044 · world median 3.546 · Children under 5 who are wasted (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.1 to 22.74; lower is better.
Position 119th of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Early Initiation of BreastfeedingUNICEF · 2024 · world median 52.9564.1152.95No earlier reading
Cuba: 64.11 · world median 52.95 · Newborns put to the breast within one hour of birth (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.749 to 93.1; higher is better.
Position 40th of 136 · derived.
Infant Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 12.266.81112.26▼ Worsened since 2014
Cuba: 6.811 · world median 12.26 · Deaths before age one (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 1.214 to 71.87; lower is better.
Position 141st of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Neonatal Mortality RateUN IGME · 2024 · world median 8.1344.2558.134▼ Worsened since 2014
Cuba: 4.255 · world median 8.134 · Deaths in the first 28 days (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 0.544 to 39.47; lower is better.
Position 141st of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Life Expectancy at Age 65UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 16.3918.2316.39▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 18.23 · world median 16.39 · Further years a 65-year-old would live at current death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 12.13 to 23.21; higher is better.
Position 68th of 222 · derived.
PM2.5 Air Pollution ExposureAtmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis · 2023 · world median 14.4510.914.45▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 10.9 · world median 14.45 · Population-weighted PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³). Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2.5 to 68.2; lower is better.
Position 149th of 220 · derived, 1st = worst.
Adult Mortality (Probability of Dying Between 15 and 60)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 133.799.93133.7▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 99.93 · world median 133.7 · Deaths before age 60 per 1,000 people alive at 15, at that year's death rates. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 25.15 to 415.44; lower is better.
Position 142nd of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.399.799.3▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 99.7 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 31st of 84 · derived.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.230.25No real change since 2014
Cuba: 0.23 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Mortality Rate, Ages 5–14UN IGME · 2024 · world median 2.8582.3012.858▼ Worsened since 2014
Cuba: 2.301 · world median 2.858 · Deaths between ages 5 and 14 (per 1,000 children aged 5). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.392 to 59.04; lower is better.
Position 115th of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
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.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6534.7946.65No real change since 2013
Cuba: 34.79 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 111th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
INFORM Severity IndexACAPS · 2025 · world median 3.133.1No earlier reading
Cuba: 3 · world median 3.1 · INFORM Severity (1–5, most severe crisis). ACAPS, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1.3 to 4.7; lower is better.
Position 42nd of 81 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median8
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.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8179.381No earlier reading
Cuba: 79.3 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 84th of 153 · derived.
Stillbirth RateUN IGME · 2023 · world median 8.1638.9948.163▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 8.994 · world median 8.163 · Stillbirths (per 1,000 total births). UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.18 to 34.9; lower is better.
Position 89th of 200 · derived, 1st = worst.
Days Above 35°CECMWF · 2025 · world median 3.487.073.48▼ Worsened since 2015
Cuba: 7.07 · world median 3.48 · Days a year with a maximum temperature above 35°C, averaged over the country’s land. World Bank Group (Climate Change Knowledge Portal), from Copernicus ERA5 (ECMWF), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 222.89; lower is better.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.4648.6727.46▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 48.67 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 72nd of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Oral Rehydration Salts for Children with DiarrhoeaUNICEF · 2024 · world median 41.535.241.5No earlier reading
Cuba: 35.2 · world median 41.5 · Children under 5 with diarrhoea given oral rehydration salts (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 9.9 to 95.4; higher is better.
Position 89th of 127 · derived.
Overweight Prevalence in Children Under FiveUNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates) · 2024 · world median 5.510.555.5▼ Worsened since 2014
Cuba: 10.55 · world median 5.5 · Children under 5 who are overweight (%). UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.623 to 26.43; lower is better.
Position 32nd of 163 · derived, 1st = worst.
Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 PandemicAriel Karlinsky and Dmitry Kobak (World Mortality Dataset) · 2026 · world median 272.35485.4272.35No earlier reading
Cuba: 485.4 · world median 272.35 · Excess deaths per 100,000 people, March 2020 to the end of each country's data (at most December 2023). Ariel Karlinsky and Dmitry Kobak (World Mortality Dataset), 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from -264.9 to 1,013; lower is better.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.7620.7620.762▼ Worsened since 2013
Cuba: 0.762 · world median 0.762 · HDI score (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.388 to 0.972; higher is better.
Ranked 97th of 193 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
No better end6
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Modern Contraceptive PrevalenceUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 35.461.935.4Moved since 2013
Cuba: 61.9 · world median 35.4 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using a modern contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 2 to 73.8.
Contraceptive Prevalence (Any Method)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 41.2563.241.25Moved since 2013
Cuba: 63.2 · world median 41.25 · Share of all women aged 15–49 using any contraceptive method (%). UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.6 to 78.7.
Caesarean Section RateUNICEF · 2025 · world median 20.6531.220.65No earlier reading
Cuba: 31.2 · world median 20.65 · Live births delivered by caesarean section (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.6 to 72.2.
Average Weekly Hours WorkedILO · 2025 · world median 38.8940.838.89Moved since 2015
Cuba: 40.8 · world median 38.89 · Average weekly hours actually worked per employed person. International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 23.64 to 54.7.
Position 73rd of 182 · derived, counted from the highest value.
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.
Pesticide Use per HectareFAO · 2024 · world median 1.730.221.73Moved since 2014
Cuba: 0.22 · world median 1.73 · Pesticide use (kg per hectare of cropland). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 37.72.
Position 156th of 178 · derived, counted from the highest value.
No current reading for Cuba
Adults Who Have Been Too Anxious or Depressed to Carry On, Agreement That Vaccines Are Safe, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Cost of a Healthy Diet, Dietary Energy Supply, Fatal Occupational Injuries (last 2010), Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Fish and Seafood Supply per Person (last 2019), Fruit Supply per Person (last 2019), Global Report on Food Crises, Human Capital Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum), Meat Supply per Person (last 2019), Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Undernourishment (last 2006), Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and Tubers (last 2018), Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet and Vegetable Supply per Person (last 2019). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Health & Wellbeing among Cuba’s 13 topics
Health & Wellbeing is Cuba’s best-placed topic of 13. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Health & Wellbeing56th of 2003/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge69th of 1983/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital83rd of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 78th of 1824/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 106th of 1983/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 95th of 1773/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience107th of 1933/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture120th of 1842/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 123rd of 1864/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions145th of 1943/4 keys
- Energy148th of 1652/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties179th of 1983/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade171st of 1773/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Gender & Equality, Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on health & wellbeing
The three countries placed highest of 200, and the leaders Cuba can most readily be measured against.
1
San MarinoSouthern Europe
1st of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Matl derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
MonacoWestern Europe
2nd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
AndorraSouthern Europe
3rd of 200 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
South Korea5th4/4 keysHighest in Americas
United States=30th4/4 keysHighest in Caribbean
Turks and Caicos Islands39th3/4 keysThis page
Cuba56th3/4 keys
Positions out of 200 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 health & wellbeing
On health & wellbeing
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 health & wellbeing
World Happiness Report 2025: Finland Leads Again as the US and UK Face Major Declines
The ten highest life evaluations of 2025, drawn on a world map, and the six things the report uses to explain them. Costa Rica and Mexico are the only two outside Europe and the Middle East.
08Questions
Cuba on health & wellbeing: 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 health & wellbeing?
Cuba is placed 56th of 200 countries on Health & Wellbeing in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 4 key statistics (Life Expectancy at Birth, Under-Five Mortality Rate and Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Life Expectancy at Birth figure for Cuba?
78.09 in 2023 (years a newborn would live at current death rates), according to UN DESA Population Division. The world median in the same edition was 74.63.
What is the latest Under-Five Mortality Rate figure for Cuba?
8.559 in 2024 (deaths before age five (per 1,000 live births)), according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). The world median in the same edition was 14.54.
How have Cuba’s health & wellbeing figures changed?
Life Expectancy at Birth rose from 75.92 in 2000 to 78.09 in 2023; Under-Five Mortality Rate fell from 8.574 in 2000 to 8.559 in 2024.
Which health & wellbeing statistics are missing for Cuba?
No current reading is published for Cuba on Adults Who Have Been Too Anxious or Depressed to Carry On, Agreement That Vaccines Are Safe, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Cost of a Healthy Diet, Dietary Energy Supply, Fatal Occupational Injuries, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Fish and Seafood Supply per Person, Fruit Supply per Person, Global Report on Food Crises, Human Capital Index, Insecticide-Treated Net Use, Malaria Incidence (P. falciparum), Malaria Incidence (P. vivax), Malaria Mortality (P. falciparum), Meat Supply per Person, Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity, Prevalence of Undernourishment, Share of Dietary Energy Supply from Cereals, Roots and Tubers, Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet and Vegetable Supply per Person. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Health spending, hospital beds and doctors per person are not measured, because more of any of them does not guarantee better outcomes. Mental health and self-reported happiness are not part of this topic. Food supply per person is measured under Food & Agriculture. Maternal mortality and many other indicators are published here as context; maternal mortality is a key in Development & Human Capital instead.
How the Health & Wellbeing standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The health & wellbeing method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Life Expectancy at Birth — UN DESA Population Division, CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Under-Five Mortality Rate — UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Stunting Prevalence in Children Under Five — UNICEF, WHO and World Bank Group (Joint Malnutrition Estimates), CC BY 3.0 IGO
- Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 40 statistics on this page come from 16 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
- San Marino — Matl derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monaco — Martin Weber derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Andorra — Tiia Monto derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Cuba: Health & Wellbeing — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/cuba/health