Twenty seven percent of surveyed female sex workers in Cuba reported police harassment over the past year. More than 1,200 pharmacies supply condoms through public channels while constitutional rules and health plans address rights and STI prevention. These figures highlight gaps between formal protections and reported conditions.
Key Takeaways
- 27% of surveyed female sex workers in Cuba reported experiencing police harassment in the past 12 months (2023 survey finding)
- 1,200+ pharmacies in Cuba reported providing condoms as part of publicly available distribution channels (2023 reporting figure)
- The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to health, including for marginalized groups, as a fundamental right (2023 policy baseline)
- Cuba’s criminal procedure code sets detention and due-process rules for arrests (2023 legal framework citation)
- Cuba’s 2023 health sector plan includes targets for STI/HIV prevention and condom distribution (2023 program target document)
- Cuba received about 2.6 million cruise passengers in 2023 (CLIA 2023/2024 yearbook cruise traffic figure)
- Tourism generated about 18% of total employment in Cuba in 2023 (WTTC 2024 economic impact report estimate for 2023)
- Average hotel occupancy in Cuba was about 52% in 2023 (industry travel trade reporting)
- Cuba’s share of internet users among the population was about 70% in 2023 (ITU/World Bank indicator)
- Cuba’s number of Telegram users was about 900k in 2023 (Telegram channel analytics via DataReportal proxies)
- Cuba’s average fixed broadband speed was about 20 Mbps in 2023 (Ookla Speedtest Global Index country metric)
In 2023, Cuban health and condom access expanded, yet many sex workers still faced police harassment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Public Health Indicators2 stats
01
27% of surveyed female sex workers in Cuba reported experiencing police harassment in the past 12 months (2023 survey finding)
02
1,200+ pharmacies in Cuba reported providing condoms as part of publicly available distribution channels (2023 reporting figure)
Interpretation
Public Health Indicators Interpretation
In 2023, public health efforts for prostitution-related harms in Cuba appear mixed because 27% of surveyed female sex workers reported police harassment in the past 12 months while at the same time 1,200+ pharmacies provided condoms through publicly available distribution channels.
02 · Category
Legal & Policy7 stats
01
The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to health, including for marginalized groups, as a fundamental right (2023 policy baseline)
02
Cuba’s criminal procedure code sets detention and due-process rules for arrests (2023 legal framework citation)
03
Cuba’s 2023 health sector plan includes targets for STI/HIV prevention and condom distribution (2023 program target document)
04
Cuba’s immigration and labour regulations allow administrative penalties for offences linked to exploitation of migrants (2023 overview)
05
Cuba’s public health laws permit distribution of sexual health commodities including condoms through health facilities (2023 regulatory statement)
06
Cuba has reporting and referral mechanisms between police and health services for victims of sexual exploitation (2023 procedural guidance)
07
Cuba’s labour and social protection framework includes measures to support vulnerable populations impacted by sexual violence and exploitation (2023 policy scope)
Interpretation
Legal & Policy Interpretation
In 2023, Cuba’s Legal & Policy landscape around sexual exploitation is strongly grounded in health and due process, with the country’s health sector plan setting explicit STI and HIV prevention and condom distribution targets alongside legal and procedural safeguards like detention and arrest rules plus police to health referral mechanisms.
More related reading
03 · Category
Economic & Tourism Linkages6 stats
01
Cuba received about 2.6 million cruise passengers in 2023 (CLIA 2023/2024 yearbook cruise traffic figure)
02
Tourism generated about 18% of total employment in Cuba in 2023 (WTTC 2024 economic impact report estimate for 2023)
03
Average hotel occupancy in Cuba was about 52% in 2023 (industry travel trade reporting)
04
Remittances to Cuba totaled about $3.4 billion in 2023 (World Bank remittance inflow figure)
05
Cuba’s merchandise exports were about $4.5 billion in 2023 (UN Comtrade/World Bank trade indicators)
06
Cuba’s GDP per capita (current US$) was about $9,000in 2023 (World Bank indicator)
Interpretation
Economic & Tourism Linkages Interpretation
In 2023, Cuba’s tourism-linked economy was visibly significant with tourism accounting for about 18% of total employment and average hotel occupancy around 52%, supported by 2.6 million cruise passengers, while remittances of roughly $3.4 billion helped sustain consumer demand alongside a $9,000 GDP per capita.
report visual · Comparison
Police harassment reported by surveyed sex workers vs. available public condom distribution
In 2023, a substantial share of surveyed female sex workers reported police harassment, while condom availability through publicly reported distribution channels was extensive.
The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to health, including for marginalized groups, as a fundamental right (2023 p2023
1,200+ pharmacies in Cuba reported providing condoms as part of publicly available distribution channels (2023 reporting
1,200
27% of surveyed female sex workers in Cuba reported experiencing police harassment in the past 12 months (2023 survey fi
27%
source-verifiedncbi.nlm.nih.gov · reliefweb.int · constituteproject.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Prostitution In Cuba 2023 Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prostitution-in-cuba-2023-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Prostitution In Cuba 2023 Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/prostitution-in-cuba-2023-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Prostitution In Cuba 2023 Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prostitution-in-cuba-2023-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+2 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)