Skip to content

Economy of Cuba vs New Zealand compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Cuba has a GDP of $107B compared to $260B for New Zealand, ranking 69/197 and 53/197 by economy size, respectively.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

Cuba
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
New Zealand
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Cuba New Zealand
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 - - $5,536,098,360 $42,169,502,939
1961 - - $5,721,994,864 $43,567,695,918
1962 - - $6,133,158,532 $44,909,961,496
1963 - - $6,699,741,645 $47,650,420,052
1964 - - $7,340,766,415 $50,558,660,811
1965 - - $5,706,251,400 $53,648,670,594
1966 - - $5,917,437,693 $57,000,887,530
1967 - - $6,016,017,227 $54,384,875,095
1968 - - $5,228,045,415 $54,358,308,884
1969 - - $5,814,357,709 $59,899,960,124
1970 $5,693,005,200 $23,120,654,813 $6,495,605,331 $59,062,793,729
1971 $6,914,658,400 $25,105,299,225 $7,911,136,757 $61,298,590,947
1972 $8,135,150,892 $26,317,053,149 $9,567,331,065 $64,436,532,490
1973 $9,987,709,650 $27,220,909,322 $12,802,281,898 $69,462,760,982
1974 $11,405,957,317 $27,488,896,946 $13,940,981,798 $73,625,970,474
1975 $13,027,415,244 $30,093,861,943 $12,861,983,284 $72,351,001,836
1976 $13,789,579,903 $31,727,344,869 $13,604,832,424 $73,023,006,890
1977 $14,206,158,675 $34,490,638,879 $15,446,825,318 $70,148,574,828
1978 $17,844,705,325 $36,765,640,924 $18,530,518,395 $70,372,042,491
1979 $19,584,443,288 $37,165,718,489 $20,731,243,113 $71,914,438,834
1980 $19,912,889,861 $35,363,388,174 $23,244,547,385 $72,838,001,601
1981 $20,150,254,096 $42,325,850,269 $24,417,617,184 $76,229,086,932
1982 $20,953,510,235 $46,100,569,047 $24,164,603,059 $76,937,776,426
1983 $22,204,940,512 $48,595,287,844 $24,309,279,706 $79,624,078,134
1984 $24,039,383,608 $52,448,756,410 $21,665,975,319 $83,440,220,877
1985 $22,920,490,774 $53,286,192,381 $24,679,795,396 $84,788,059,636
1986 $24,226,574,634 $53,336,975,926 $30,604,668,357 $87,082,121,111
1987 $25,213,935,012 $52,055,729,738 $40,376,354,070 $87,927,548,030
1988 $27,458,999,472 $53,984,675,578 $45,176,811,594 $87,616,568,095
1989 $27,023,468,666 $54,351,816,305 $43,920,222,525 $87,757,994,040
1990 $28,645,436,569 $52,749,217,703 $45,495,129,385 $87,892,387,206
1991 $24,316,556,026 $47,108,903,627 $42,745,329,732 $86,933,663,001
1992 $22,085,858,243 $41,653,408,482 $41,649,829,860 $87,884,573,621
1993 $22,367,254,865 $35,456,139,102 $46,775,620,817 $93,501,741,195
1994 $28,448,326,757 $35,710,334,910 $55,314,732,279 $98,288,327,599
1995 $30,429,803,651 $36,587,809,679 $63,918,703,507 $102,929,582,187
1996 $25,017,368,700 $39,455,836,485 $70,140,835,299 $106,647,274,008
1997 $25,365,908,100 $40,554,060,118 $66,075,143,415 $108,864,761,861
1998 $25,736,331,200 $40,618,600,304 $56,227,169,851 $109,799,263,892
1999 $28,364,615,200 $43,132,386,084 $58,762,260,626 $115,703,970,647
2000 $30,565,400,000 $45,683,563,279 $52,623,281,957 $119,024,733,715
2001 $31,682,400,000 $47,138,598,430 $53,872,425,917 $123,084,659,196
2002 $33,590,500,000 $47,810,239,203 $66,627,729,311 $128,886,227,124
2003 $35,901,200,000 $49,623,557,376 $88,250,885,550 $134,980,022,138
2004 $38,203,000,000 $52,487,103,646 $103,905,210,084 $140,497,957,985
2005 $42,643,836,100 $58,366,528,663 $114,720,129,550 $145,208,752,801
2006 $48,835,925,926 $65,408,954,115 $111,538,810,713 $149,245,237,528
2007 $54,262,870,370 $70,159,041,951 $137,188,946,866 $153,806,793,429
2008 $56,302,129,630 $73,047,369,064 $133,437,126,590 $152,242,519,171
2009 $57,481,481,481 $74,107,509,498 $121,663,439,315 $152,185,479,818
2010 $59,562,962,963 $75,878,940,053 $146,887,902,524 $154,405,312,545
2011 $68,990,000,000 $78,005,296,225 $168,484,908,960 $157,637,781,921
2012 $73,141,000,000 $80,357,078,126 $176,560,711,239 $161,367,975,233
2013 $77,148,000,000 $82,564,971,264 $191,012,364,177 $165,546,666,710
2014 $80,656,100,000 $83,429,902,609 $201,518,402,787 $171,881,119,397
2015 $87,132,800,000 $87,132,800,000 $178,224,167,088 $178,224,167,088
2016 $91,370,407,864 $87,579,654,549 $189,100,085,275 $184,959,455,627
2017 $96,850,649,692 $89,164,663,931 $206,745,969,246 $191,208,740,301
2018 $100,050,036,096 $91,169,039,693 $211,985,631,173 $197,844,796,499
2019 $103,427,600,000 $91,020,354,637 $213,006,341,102 $202,429,793,154
2020 $107,351,800,000 $81,054,459,000 $213,029,554,654 $201,807,833,898
2021 - $82,070,633,423 $253,977,931,815 $210,960,637,813
2022 - $83,527,427,216 $249,509,991,440 $218,336,637,843
2023 - $81,915,873,064 $255,194,972,673 $221,380,800,380
2024 - - $260,235,932,559 $221,100,836,866

Economic indicators

Cuba New Zealand
Gross domestic product
$107B
2020
$260B
2024
GDP rank
69/197
2020
53/197
2024
GDP growth
3.79%
2019-2020
1.98%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$9,605
2020
$48,747
2024
GDP per capita rank
87/197
2020
26/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$12,300
2016
$55,094
2024
Government debt n/a
$133B
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio n/a
55.3%
2025
Government debt per person n/a
$24,936
2024
Government debt per person rank n/a
28/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$3,584
2025
$36,132
2025
Market capitalization of domestic companies n/a
$92.9B
2024
Number of billionaires n/a
5
2025
Government expenditure, % of GDP
49%
2025
43%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
5.5%
2019-2020
2.92%
2023-2024
Central bank interest rate n/a
3%
2025
Unemployment rate
1.7%
2018
4.72%
2024
Population
10937204
5406623

GDP per capita in Cuba vs New Zealand

Cuba's GDP per capita is $9,605, ranking 87/197, compared to $48,747 in New Zealand, ranking 26/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Cuba ranks 122nd at $12,300, while New Zealand ranks 37th at $55,094.

Cuba
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
New Zealand
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Cuba New Zealand
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 - - $2,334 -
1961 - - $2,365 -
1962 - - $2,471 -
1963 - - $2,646 -
1964 - - $2,839 -
1965 - - $2,171 -
1966 - - $2,211 -
1967 - - $2,208 -
1968 - - $1,902 -
1969 - - $2,097 -
1970 $645 - $2,311 -
1971 $770 - $2,773 -
1972 $892 - $3,295 -
1973 $1,079 - $4,323 -
1974 $1,217 - $4,611 -
1975 $1,374 - $4,172 -
1976 $1,441 - $4,374 -
1977 $1,472 - $4,951 -
1978 $1,837 - $5,937 -
1979 $2,006 - $6,668 -
1980 $2,031 - $7,467 -
1981 $2,046 - $7,814 -
1982 $2,114 - $7,656 -
1983 $2,222 - $7,598 -
1984 $2,386 - $6,714 -
1985 $2,257 - $7,601 -
1986 $2,365 - $9,428 -
1987 $2,440 - $12,331 -
1988 $2,632 - $13,759 -
1989 $2,566 - $13,312 -
1990 $2,694 - $13,663 $14,871
1991 $2,269 - $12,230 $14,560
1992 $2,048 - $11,793 $14,937
1993 $2,063 - $13,094 $15,964
1994 $2,613 - $15,280 $17,111
1995 $2,785 - $17,400 $17,885
1996 $2,282 - $18,794 $18,442
1997 $2,306 - $17,474 $19,127
1998 $2,332 - $14,738 $19,320
1999 $2,562 $1,700 $15,322 $20,579
2000 $2,751 $1,700 $13,641 $21,501
2001 $2,843 - $13,883 $22,521
2002 $3,005 $2,300 $16,874 $23,306
2003 $3,203 $2,900 $21,914 $23,987
2004 $3,399 $3,000 $25,420 $25,097
2005 $3,786 $3,500 $27,751 $25,677
2006 $4,330 $4,000 $26,655 $27,744
2007 $4,807 $11,000 $32,480 $29,354
2008 $4,986 $9,500 $31,325 $29,896
2009 $5,089 $9,700 $28,277 $30,756
2010 $5,272 $10,200 $33,762 $31,293
2011 $6,104 - $38,432 $32,739
2012 $6,471 - $40,054 $33,055
2013 $6,828 - $43,000 $36,263
2014 $7,147 - $44,618 $37,331
2015 $7,728 - $38,665 $37,578
2016 $8,111 $12,300 $40,114 $39,989
2017 $8,611 - $42,950 $42,244
2018 $8,911 - $43,257 $42,527
2019 $9,232 - $42,779 $45,198
2020 $9,605 - $41,851 $45,354
2021 - - $49,689 $47,997
2022 - - $48,760 $53,647
2023 - - $48,655 $53,854
2024 - - $48,747 $55,094

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 22 years, Cuba has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 4.16%, compared with 2.01% in New Zealand. In 2020, inflation was 5.5% in Cuba and 2.92% in New Zealand.

Inflation
Cuba

New Zealand
Year Inflation
Cuba New Zealand Cuba New Zealand
1996 - 2.29%
1997 - 1.19%
1998 - 1.27%
1999 0.3% -0.11%
2000 - 2.62%
2001 - 2.63%
2002 7.1% 2.68%
2003 4.1% 1.75%
2004 3.1% 2.29%
2005 7% 3.04%
2006 5% 3.37%
2007 3.1% 2.38%
2008 3.4% 3.96%
2009 -0.5% 2.12%
2010 0.7% 2.3%
2011 4.7% 4.03%
2012 5.5% 1.06%
2013 6% 1.13%
2014 - 1.23%
2015 4.4% 0.29%
2016 4.5% 0.65%
2017 - 1.85%
2018 5.5% 1.6%
2019 5.5% 1.62%
2020 5.5% 1.71%
2021 - 3.94%
2022 - 7.17%
2023 - 5.73%
2024 - 2.92%

Top exports between countries

Cuba
Export category Export value
Raw agricultural goods $621K
Machinery & equipment $1K
New Zealand
Export category Export value
Animal & marine products $3.39M
Transport & tourism services $500K
Machinery & equipment $9K

Balance of trade

Cuba New Zealand
Current account balance
n/a
-$15.8B
2024
Current account balance ranking n/a
178/189
2024
Current account balance, % of GDP n/a
-6.09%
2024
Goods imports n/a
$48.6B
2024
Goods exports n/a
$43.3B
2024
Service imports n/a
$19.4B
2024
Service exports n/a
$18.5B
2024
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
64.6%
2023
26.7%
2023
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
43.5%
2023
23.7%
2023

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

Cuba New Zealand
Economic freedom 25.4 78.1
Economic freedom ranking 195/197 12/197
Property rights 29.9 87.5
Government integrity 33.4 91.3
Judicial effectiveness 14.3 93.9
Tax burden 51.9 65.4
Government spending 0 47.8
Fiscal health 0 77.7
Business freedom 42.3 88.7
Labor freedom 20 69.7
Monetary freedom 20 74.6
Trade freedom 72.8 90.4
Investment freedom 10 70
Financial freedom 10 80

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for Cuba is 25.4, ranking 195/197, compared to 78.1 for New Zealand, ranking 12/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

Cuba
New Zealand
Year Economic freedom index
Cuba New Zealand
1995 27.8 -
1996 27.8 78.1
1997 27.8 79
1998 28.2 79.2
1999 29.7 81.7
2000 31.3 80.9
2001 31.6 81.1
2002 32.4 80.7
2003 35.1 81.1
2004 34.4 81.5
2005 35.5 82.3
2006 29.3 82
2007 28.6 81.4
2008 27.5 80.7
2009 27.9 82
2010 26.7 82.1
2011 27.7 82.3
2012 28.3 82.1
2013 28.5 81.4
2014 28.7 81.2
2015 29.6 82.1
2016 29.8 81.6
2017 33.9 83.7
2018 31.9 84.2
2019 27.8 84.4
2020 26.9 84.1
2021 28.1 83.9
2022 29.5 80.6
2023 24.3 78.9
2024 25.7 77.8
2025 25.4 78.1

More economic indicators

Cuba New Zealand
Services, % of GDP
70%
2023
67.4%
2022
Industry, % of GDP
27.5%
2023
19.6%
2022
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
1.31%
2023
4.57%
2022
GNI, Atlas method
$101B
2019
$247B
2024
GNI per capita, PPP n/a
$53,160
2024
Total reserves including gold
$144M
1960
$22.1B
2024
Total reserves ranking
173/177
1960
59/177
2024
Net foreign direct investment
n/a
-$1.17B
2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
n/a
$3.37B
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
n/a
$2.2B
2024
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
9.88%
2020
23.8%
2023

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Economy comparisons

Economy vs Cuba vs New Zealand
Afghanistan Compare Compare
Albania Compare Compare
Algeria Compare Compare
Andorra Compare Compare
Angola Compare Compare
Antigua Compare Compare
Argentina Compare Compare
Armenia Compare Compare
Australia Compare Compare
Austria Compare Compare
Azerbaijan Compare Compare
Bahamas Compare Compare
Bahrain Compare Compare
Bangladesh Compare Compare
Barbados Compare Compare
Belarus Compare Compare
Belgium Compare Compare
Belize Compare Compare
Benin Compare Compare
Bhutan Compare Compare
Bolivia Compare Compare
Bosnia Compare Compare
Botswana Compare Compare
Brazil Compare Compare
Brunei Compare Compare
Bulgaria Compare Compare
Burkina Faso Compare Compare
Burundi Compare Compare
Cambodia Compare Compare
Cameroon Compare Compare
Canada Compare Compare
Cape Verde Compare Compare
Cayman Islands Compare Compare
CAR Compare Compare
Chad Compare Compare
Chile Compare Compare
China Compare Compare
Colombia Compare Compare
Comoros Compare Compare
Congo Compare Compare
Costa Rica Compare Compare
Croatia Compare Compare
Curacao Compare Compare
Cyprus Compare Compare
Czech Republic Compare Compare
DR Congo Compare Compare
Denmark Compare Compare
Djibouti Compare Compare
Dominica Compare Compare
Dominican Republic Compare Compare
East Timor Compare Compare
Ecuador Compare Compare
Egypt Compare Compare
El Salvador Compare Compare
Equatorial Guinea Compare Compare
Eritrea Compare Compare
Estonia Compare Compare
Eswatini Compare Compare
Ethiopia Compare Compare
Fiji Compare Compare
Finland Compare Compare
France Compare Compare
Gabon Compare Compare
Gambia Compare Compare
Georgia Compare Compare
Germany Compare Compare
Ghana Compare Compare
Greece Compare Compare
Grenada Compare Compare
Guatemala Compare Compare
Guinea Compare Compare
Guinea-Bissau Compare Compare
Guyana Compare Compare
Haiti Compare Compare
Honduras Compare Compare
Hungary Compare Compare
Iceland Compare Compare
India Compare Compare
Indonesia Compare Compare
Iran Compare Compare
Iraq Compare Compare
Ireland Compare Compare
Israel Compare Compare
Italy Compare Compare
Ivory Coast Compare Compare
Jamaica Compare Compare
Japan Compare Compare
Jordan Compare Compare
Kazakhstan Compare Compare
Kenya Compare Compare
Kiribati Compare Compare
Kuwait Compare Compare
Kyrgyzstan Compare Compare
Laos Compare Compare
Latvia Compare Compare
Lebanon Compare Compare
Lesotho Compare Compare
Liberia Compare Compare
Libya Compare Compare
Liechtenstein Compare Compare
Lithuania Compare Compare
Luxembourg Compare Compare
Madagascar Compare Compare
Malawi Compare Compare
Malaysia Compare Compare
Maldives Compare Compare
Mali Compare Compare
Malta Compare Compare
Marshall Islands Compare Compare
Mauritania Compare Compare
Mauritius Compare Compare
Mexico Compare Compare
Moldova Compare Compare
Monaco Compare Compare
Mongolia Compare Compare
Montenegro Compare Compare
Morocco Compare Compare
Mozambique Compare Compare
Myanmar Compare Compare
Namibia Compare Compare
Nauru Compare Compare
Nepal Compare Compare
Netherlands Compare Compare
Nicaragua Compare Compare
Niger Compare Compare
Nigeria Compare Compare
North Korea Compare Compare
North Macedonia Compare Compare
Norway Compare Compare
Oman Compare Compare
Pakistan Compare Compare
Palau Compare Compare
Palestine Compare Compare
Panama Compare Compare
Papua New Guinea Compare Compare
Paraguay Compare Compare
Peru Compare Compare
Philippines Compare Compare
Poland Compare Compare
Portugal Compare Compare
Qatar Compare Compare
Romania Compare Compare
Russia Compare Compare
Rwanda Compare Compare
Saint Kitts Compare Compare
Saint Lucia Compare Compare
Saint Vincent Compare Compare
Samoa Compare Compare
San Marino Compare Compare
Sao Tome Compare Compare
Saudi Arabia Compare Compare
Senegal Compare Compare
Serbia Compare Compare
Seychelles Compare Compare
Sierra Leone Compare Compare
Singapore Compare Compare
Slovakia Compare Compare
Slovenia Compare Compare
Solomon Islands Compare Compare
Somalia Compare Compare
South Africa Compare Compare
South Korea Compare Compare
South Sudan Compare Compare
Spain Compare Compare
Sri Lanka Compare Compare
Sudan Compare Compare
Suriname Compare Compare
Sweden Compare Compare
Switzerland Compare Compare
Syria Compare Compare
Taiwan Compare Compare
Tajikistan Compare Compare
Tanzania Compare Compare
Thailand Compare Compare
Togo Compare Compare
Tonga Compare Compare
Trinidad Compare Compare
Tunisia Compare Compare
Turkey Compare Compare
Turkmenistan Compare Compare
Tuvalu Compare Compare
Uganda Compare Compare
Ukraine Compare Compare
UAE Compare Compare
United Kingdom Compare Compare
United States Compare Compare
Uruguay Compare Compare
Uzbekistan Compare Compare
Vanuatu Compare Compare
Vatican Compare Compare
Venezuela Compare Compare
Vietnam Compare Compare
Yemen Compare Compare
Zambia Compare Compare
Zimbabwe Compare Compare

The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.