INCOME INEQUALITY IN TODAY’S CUBA - FIELD RESEARCH ON THE CUBAN PEOPLE’S QUALITY OF LIFE AND INCOME STRUCTURE

Abstract

Cuba has been a significant player in international and regional politics for a long while, particularly compared to its size. However, reliable data on the standard of living of its society is scarce. The literature review reflects how the Cuban state manipulated certain data forwarded to international organisations. Our objective was to implement field research and gain pri mary data on Cubans’ quality of life and income structure that could help to identify the extent of income inequality among the different demographic clusters in the country. We used individual questionnaires, as well as de -scriptive, frequency and inferential statistics. The results show varying in come inequalities among the different demographic clusters and a “perverse effect” in income distribution, leading to the formation of a “parasite” stra tum in Cuban society.