Suriname
Country in Americas
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 639.9K (2025). World rank 168 of 216; in Americas, 27 of 46. Area: 163,820 km². World rank 93 of 249; in Americas, 16 of 56. GDP: $4.5B (2025). World rank 171 of 210; in Americas, 32 of 45. From 2015 to 2025: population 581.6K → 639.9K, GDP $5.1B → $4.5B, and GDP per person $8,814 → $7,070. Worse than all its neighbours (Brazil and Guyana): GDP per person.
State
- Official name
- Republic of Suriname
- Local name
- Suriname
- Capital
- Paramaribo
- Region
- Americas
- Form of government
- Presidential republic
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Jennifer Geerlings-Simons
- Head of government
- Jennifer Geerlings-Simons
- Independence
- November 25, 1975
- Women in parliament
- 31.4% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 639,850 2025
- Area
- 163,820 km²
- GDP
- $4.5B 2025
- GDP per person
- $7,070 2025
- Life expectancy
- 73.8 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Dutch
- Currency
- Surinamese Dollar (SRD)
- Time zones
- UTC−3
- Calling code
- +597
- Emergency numbers
- 110, 111, 112, 113, 115
- Driving side
- Left
- Plug types
- C, F
- Mains voltage
- 127 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 386
- Neighbours
- Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana
- Agricultural land
- 0.5% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Julianatop, 1,230 m
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean, -2 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 246
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 27
- Warmest month in the capital
- October, 28°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- January, 26°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 2,331 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 3.9 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +0.9% 2025
- Living in cities
- 65.8% 2025
- Net migration per year
- -967 2025
- Born in another country
- 8.2% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 25.3% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 66.5% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 8.2% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 77 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 70.6 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 2.2 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 17.2 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 6.8 2024
Society
- Religions
- Protestant 23.6%, Hindu 22.3%, Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, and no religion 7.5% (2012)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 55.1 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 40.3 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 52.1 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 41.8 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 62.1 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $22,652 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +1.8% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- Upper-middle income
- Gross national income per person
- $6,140 2025
- Inflation
- +9.2% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 31 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 6.8% 2024
- Industry, share of GDP
- 35.1% 2024
- Services, share of GDP
- 50.9% 2024
- Unemployment
- 7.8% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 25.4% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 44.9% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 52.6% 2010
- Imports, share of GDP
- 38.4% 2010
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- -55.3% 2025
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +45.4% 2025
- Remittances received, share of GDP
- 3.9% 2025
Poverty and inequality
- Gini index (0 = full equality)
- 39.2 2022
- Living on under $3 a day
- 2.2% 2022
Education
- Adult literacy
- 92.9% 2012
- Primary school enrolment
- 91.9% 2024
- Secondary school enrolment
- 76.1% 2023
- Higher education enrolment
- 2.6% 2024
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 2.9% 2023
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 5.4% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $297 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 19.7% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 1.4 2023
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 1.7 2023
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 2.9 2022
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 73% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 14.8 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 15.8 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 84 2023
- HIV prevalence, ages 15–49
- 1.6% 2024
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 13.8% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 58.1% 2022
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 98% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 90% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 95% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 6.5 2023
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 15.3 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 22.3 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 76.1 2025
- Natural hazards
- floods
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 15.7 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 4.1 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 5.8 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 91.5% 2024
- Protected areas
- 8.6% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 158,867 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 4% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 87.4% 2023
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 142 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 18.8 2024
- Internet domain
- .sr
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 99% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 2,919 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 14.5% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 41.9% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 52.4% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 149,672 2023
- Airports
- 55 2025
Science and innovation
- Scientific articles per year
- 26 2023
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 10.4% 2024