# Cuba and United States compared

Cuba and United States side by side: 41 shared sourced indicators across 9 domains, and the 4 events their chronicles record of each other.

Canonical: https://terralore.co/compare/cub-vs-usa
Updated: 2026-08-10 (latest of the two dossiers' refreshes and the two chronicles' verification dates)

Two sourced records set beside each other — nothing on this page was written for the pair. Every figure is the same observation, with the same source, as on the two national dossiers; every event is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle. Figures are compared, never graded. A "—" is an absence in the source data, never a zero; each value shows its own observation year — vintages differ by indicator and nation.

## Formation

- Cuba: 20 May 1902 — The United States relinquishes its occupation authority and Cuba governs itself
- United States: 4 July 1776 — The Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence

## Economy

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $107 B | 2020 | $28.75 T | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $9,605 | 2020 | $84,534 | 2024 |
| GDP growth | -1.1% | 2024 | 2.8% | 2024 |
| Trade openness | 124.9% | 2024 | 25.4% | 2024 |
| Inflation | — | — | 2.9% | 2024 |

## Society

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11 m | 2024 | 340 m | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 78.3 yrs | 2024 | 78.9 yrs | 2024 |
| Urban population | 77.2% | 2024 | 80.1% | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.4 | 2024 | 1.6 | 2024 |

## Governance

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice & accountability | 34.6 | 2024 | 72.4 | 2024 |
| Political stability | 71.3 | 2024 | 64.3 | 2024 |
| Government effectiveness | 46.1 | 2024 | 77.8 | 2024 |
| Regulatory quality | 32.2 | 2024 | 76.2 | 2024 |
| Rule of law | 46.2 | 2024 | 73.5 | 2024 |
| Control of corruption | 43.3 | 2024 | 69.9 | 2024 |

## Health

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health spending | 9.4% | 2023 | 16.7% | 2023 |
| Physicians | 9.54 | 2021 | 3.68 | 2022 |
| Under-5 mortality | 8.6 | 2024 | 6.5 | 2024 |
| Measles immunisation | 99.0% | 2024 | 92.0% | 2024 |
| Safe drinking water | — | — | 97.6% | 2024 |

## Education

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult literacy | 97.7% | 2019 | — | — |
| Education spending | 8.4% | 2022 | 5.4% | 2021 |
| Primary enrolment | 98.1% | 2024 | 97.0% | 2022 |
| Secondary enrolment | 91.7% | 2024 | 97.5% | 2022 |
| Tertiary enrolment | 43.1% | 2024 | 79.4% | 2022 |

## Technology

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D spending | 0.4% | 2024 | 3.4% | 2023 |
| Researchers (per million) | 2,171 | 2024 | 4,937 | 2022 |
| Internet users | 70.5% | 2024 | 94.7% | 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 73 | 2024 | 113 | 2024 |
| High-tech exports | 7.9% | 2022 | 24.3% | 2024 |

## Geography

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | 103,800 km² | 2023 | 9,147,420 km² | 2023 |
| Forest area | 31.2% | 2023 | 33.9% | 2023 |
| Agricultural land | 61.7% | 2023 | 46.1% | 2023 |
| CO₂ per capita (t) | 1.9 | 2024 | 13.6 | 2024 |
| Renewable energy | 20.9% | 2021 | 10.9% | 2021 |

## Resources

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource rents | 0.6% | 2020 | 1.3% | 2021 |
| Oil rents | 0.2% | 2020 | 0.6% | 2021 |
| Mineral rents | 0.2% | 2020 | 0.1% | 2021 |
| Forest rents | 0.1% | 2020 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Electricity access | 100.0% | 2023 | 100.0% | 2023 |
| Cobalt (mined) | 2,000 t | 2025 | 300 t | 2025 |
| Copper (mined) | — | — | 1.0 Mt | 2025 |
| Iron ore | — | — | 38 Mt | 2025 |
| Gold (mined) | — | — | 160 t | 2025 |
| Nickel (mined) | — | — | 10.0 kt | 2025 |
| Rare earths | — | — | 51.0 kt | 2025 |
| Zinc (mined) | — | — | 670 kt | 2025 |
| Phosphate rock | — | — | 20 Mt | 2025 |

## Military

| Metric | Cuba | Observed | United States | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military burden | 2.9% | 2018 | 3.4% | 2024 |
| Defense spending | $129 M | 2018 | $997 B | 2024 |
| Armed forces | 76,000 | 2020 | 1.4 m | 2020 |

Each metric is also ranked across all nations: https://terralore.co/rankings (markdown twins at /rankings/<metric>.md). Full dossiers: https://terralore.co/country/CUB.md and https://terralore.co/country/USA.md.

## Entangled histories (4 events)

Events in which either nation's sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the record exactly as its own chronicle carries it, with that chronicle's sources.

- 15 Feb 1898: **Sinking of the USS Maine** — The U.S. battleship Maine explodes in Havana harbour, propelling the United States toward war with Spain over Cuba. (from the Cuba chronicle; sources: The Spanish-American War, 1898)
- 10 Dec 1898: **Spanish-American War ends Spanish rule** — After Spain's defeat, the Treaty of Paris ends Spanish dominion over Cuba; the Teller Amendment had disclaimed U.S. annexation. (from the Cuba chronicle; sources: The Spanish-American War, 1898; Platt Amendment (1903))
- 20 May 1902: **Republic of Cuba proclaimed** — The United States ends its occupation and the Republic of Cuba is installed under Tomas Estrada Palma, its first president. (from the Cuba chronicle; sources: A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition, Diplomatic, and Consular Relations, by Country: Cuba; Tomas Estrada Palma)
- 17 Dec 2014: **Thaw with the United States** — Obama and Raul Castro announce normalisation; diplomatic relations are restored and embassies reopen in 2015, though the embargo remains. (from the Cuba chronicle; sources: Re-Establishment of Diplomatic Relations With Cuba; Cuba since 1991)

## Sources

- World Development Indicators — World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://data.worldbank.org
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (via World Bank API) — Worldwide Governance Indicators / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators
- Global Health Observatory (WHO, via World Bank WDI) — WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.who.int/data/gho
- Child mortality & immunisation estimates (UN IGME and WHO/UNICEF, via World Bank WDI) — UNICEF and WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://childmortality.org
- R&D statistics (UNESCO UIS, via World Bank WDI) — UNESCO Institute for Statistics / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://uis.unesco.org
- ICT indicators (ITU, via World Bank WDI) — ITU / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — U.S. Geological Survey · Public domain (U.S. Government work) · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center
- Military Expenditure Database (via World Development Indicators) — SIPRI / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex

Chronicle references are cited inline above and resolve in full at https://terralore.co/country/CUB/chronicle.md and https://terralore.co/country/USA/chronicle.md.

Citation template: Terralore, "Cuba and United States compared", terralore.co/compare/cub-vs-usa, retrieved <YYYY-MM-DD>.