Healthcare Spending: Cuba

Analysis# Cuba Healthcare Spending Cuba allocated 9.384% of its GDP to healthcare in 2023, representing a significant decline from the all-time peak of 13.787% in 2021. The current figure remains substantially higher than the 2000 baseline of 6.582%, reflecting a 42.6% increase over the 23-year period. Despite recent reductions, Cuba's healthcare spending relative to GDP continues to exceed historical lows established in the early 2000s. The past decade reveals sharp volatility. Healthcare spending climbed steadily from 2014 through 2021, peaking at nearly 14% of GDP during the pandemic. A sharp reversal followed, with spending dropping 4.4 percentage points between 2021 and 2023. The recent downward trajectory suggests potential constraints on healthcare resource allocation, marking a notable departure from the elevated investment levels maintained throughout most of the 2010s.