The annual rate of population growth is 1.1 percent, one of the lowest in the Caribbean. Life expectancy at birth is 73 years for males and 76 years for females. Cubans speak Spanish, and their way of living reflects their Spanish background. African folkways art, music, and dancing in particular have profoundly influenced the people and helped produce a uniquely Cuban culture. Since the 1958 revolution, the role of religion in Cuban society has become relatively insignificant.
Education is free and compulsory.
On average, Cubans attain a seventh-grade education. About 96 percent of adults are literate. The University of Havana is the leading institution of higher education. About 70 percent of the Cuban population resides in urban areas. It is nearly six times larger than the next largest city, Santiago de Cuba.