Cuba vs United States
Cuba vs United States: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 1.54% of the labour force in Cuba and 0.84% of the labour force in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Cuba, by 0.7 percentage points, or 1.84 times that in United States.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- Cuba has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2020, Cuba ranked 40 and United States ranked 84 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | Cuba | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.54 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 1.46 | 0.82 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 1.46 | 0.83 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 1.45 | 0.82 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 1.44 | 0.82 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 1.45 | 0.83 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 1.45 | 0.86 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 1.46 | 0.9 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 1.47 | 0.93 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.47 | 0.96 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 1.48 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 1.47 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 1.52 | 0.97 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 1.53 | 0.99 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 1.54 | 0.96 | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 1.55 | 1.01 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 1.55 | 0.97 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 1.51 | 0.99 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 1.52 | 0.98 | 1 |
| 2001 | 1.53 | 0.96 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 1.8 | 0.99 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 1.97 | 1.09 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.72 | 1.11 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.73 | 1.09 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 2.63 | 1.13 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 2.77 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 3.15 | 1.28 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 3.98 | 1.38 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 4 | 1.47 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 6.85 | 1.65 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 6.93 | 1.71 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cuba vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyCuba: 78.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCuba: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCuba: 4.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCuba: 3.32% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateCuba: 11.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCuba: 11 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthCuba: -0.35% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCuba: 1.44 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCuba: 77.2% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageCuba: 41.7 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCuba: 16.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateCuba: -2.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCuba: 2.88% of GDP in 2018United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personCuba: $11 in 2018United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCuba: 76,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerCuba: 0.11% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsCuba: 8 million TIV in 2004United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCuba: 8 million TIV in 1980United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025