Suriname
Republic of Suriname
Population
653.6K
Area
163,820 km²
GDP
$4.71B
GDP Per Capita
$19,400
Pop. Density
4/km²
Quick Facts
Currency
$Surinamese dollar(SRD)
Calling Code
+597
Timezone
UTC-03:00
Languages
Dutch
Driving Side
left
Demonym
Surinamer
Background
Historical Trends
GDP (USD)
↑68.2% since 2006Population
↑20.8% since 2006Life Expectancy at Birth
Latest: 73.6 yearsData source: World Bank Open Data
Geography18
Location
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates
4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references
South America
Area
land: 156,000 sq km
water: 7,820 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries
border countries: Brazil 515 km; French Guiana 556 km; Guyana 836 km
Coastline
386 km
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
mean elevation: 246 m
Natural resources
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use
agricultural land
agricultural land: arable land
agricultural land: permanent crops
agricultural land: permanent pasture
forest
other
Irrigated land
600 sq km (2020)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Population distribution
population is concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Natural hazards
flooding
Geography - note
smallest independent country on the South American continent; mostly tropical rainforest; great diversity of flora and fauna; relatively small population, mostly along the coast
People & Society33
Population
male: 323,747
female: 329,858
Nationality
adjective: Surinamese
Ethnic groups
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, Maroon (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed White and Black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)
Languages
major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)
Religions
Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed 0.7%, Lutheran 0.5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)
Age structure
15-64 years: 70% (male 226,417/female 226,235)
65 years and over: 7.5% (2024 est.) (male 20,071/female 28,598)
Dependency ratios
youth dependency ratio: 31.8 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 11.2 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 8.9 (2025 est.)
Median age
male: 31 years
female: 32.9 years
Population growth rate
1.04% (2025 est.)
Birth rate
14.63 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate
6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate
2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Population distribution
population is concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Urbanization
rate of urbanization: 0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
84 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
male: 37.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
male: 69 years
female: 76.7 years
Total fertility rate
1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Health expenditure
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 13.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density
1.36 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density
2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban
improved: rural
improved: total
unimproved: urban
unimproved: rural
unimproved: total
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
26.4% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
beer: 3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 2.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
6.7% (2018 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
52.2% (2018 est.)
Child marriage
women married by age 18: 36% (2018)
men married by age 18: 19.6% (2018)
Education expenditure
Education expenditure (% national budget): 8.6% national budget (2024 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
male: 10 years (2021 est.)
female: 11 years (2021 est.)
Government23
Country name
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
etymology
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name comes from the Guaraní words para (water or river) and maribo (inhabitants)
Administrative divisions
Legal system
civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law
Constitution
amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Suriname
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
election/appointment process
most recent election date
election results
2025: Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS elected president unopposed; National Assembly vote - NA
2020: Chandrikapersad "Chan" SANTOKHI elected president unopposed; National Assembly vote - NA
2015: Desire Delano BOUTERSE reelected president unopposed; National Assembly vote - NA
expected date of next election
Legislative branch
legislature name
legislative structure
number of seats
electoral system
scope of elections
term in office
most recent election date
parties elected and seats per party
percentage of women in chamber
expected date of next election
Judicial branch
judge selection and term of office: court judges appointed by the national president in consultation with the National Assembly, the State Advisory Council, and the Order of Private Attorneys; judges serve for life
subordinate courts: cantonal courts
Political parties
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP
National Democratic Party or NDP
National Party of Suriname or NPS
Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE
Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI
People's Alliance (Pertjajah Luhur) or PL
Progressive Workers' and Farmers' Union or PALU
Progressive Reform Party or VHP
Reform and Renewal Movement or HVB
Surinamese Labor Party or SPA
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission
chancery
telephone
FAX
email address and website
consulate(s) general
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
email address and website
International organization participation
ACP, ACS, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Independence
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Flag
meaning: red stands for progress and love, green for hope and fertility, and white for peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of ethnic groups
National symbol(s)
royal palm, faya lobi (flower)
National color(s)
green, white, red, yellow
National anthem(s)
lyrics/music: Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY
history: adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday-school song written in 1893; contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo
National heritage
selected World Heritage Site locales: Central Suriname Nature Reserve (n); Historic Inner City of Paramaribo (c); Jodensavanne Archaeological Site: Jodensavanne Settlement and Cassipora Creek Cemetery (c)
Economy28
Economic overview
upper middle-income South American economy; new floating currency regime; key aluminum goods, gold, and hydrocarbon exporter; new IMF plan for economic recovery and fiscal sustainability; controversial hardwood industry
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $11.976 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $11.68 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 2.4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP per capita 2023: $19,000 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $18,700 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$4.714 billion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 51.6% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 52.4% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
industry: 39.9% (2023 est.)
services: 48.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products
rice, sugarcane, oranges, vegetables, chicken, cassava, plantains, pineapples, eggs, citrus fruits (2023)
Industries
gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate
2.1% (2023 est.)
Labor force
255,500 (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate 2023: 7.7% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 8.2% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
male: 16.9% (2024 est.)
female: 35.9% (2024 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
Household income or consumption by percentage share
highest 10%: 30.1% (2022 est.)
Remittances
Remittances 2023: 4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 3.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget
expenditures: $1.648 billion (2019 est.)
Public debt
Current account balance
Current account balance 2023: $148.118 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: $76.321 million (2022 est.)
Exports
Exports 2023: $2.533 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $2.6 billion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners
Switzerland 49%, UAE 28%, Guyana 5%, USA 4%, France 3% (2023)
Exports - commodities
gold, fish, refined petroleum, wood, tobacco (2023)
Imports
Imports 2023: $2.203 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $2.342 billion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners
USA 22%, China 12%, Netherlands 11%, Trinidad & Tobago 9%, Guyana 8% (2023)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, ships, excavation machinery, trucks, tobacco (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $1.346 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.195 billion (2022 est.)
Debt - external
Exchange rates
Currency
Exchange rates 2024
Exchange rates 2023
Exchange rates 2022
Exchange rates 2021
Exchange rates 2020
Energy7
Electricity access
electrification - urban areas: 100%
electrification - rural areas: 98%
Electricity
consumption: 1.896 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 245.206 million kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources
solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Coal
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 17,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 89 million barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
consumption: 6.967 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
Communications6
Telephones - fixed lines
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 142 (2024 est.)
Broadcast media
2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2019)
Internet country code
.sr
Internet users
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2022 est.)
Transportation5
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
PZ
Airports
55 (2025)
Heliports
1 (2025)
Merchant marine
by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 3, other 5
Ports
total ports
large
medium
small
very small
ports with oil terminals
key ports
Military & Security6
Military and security forces
Ministry of Justice and Police: Suriname Police Force (Korps Politie Suriname or KPS) (2026)
Military expenditures
Military Expenditures 2018: 1.1% of GDP (2018 est.)
Military Expenditures 2017: 1.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
Military Expenditures 2016: 1.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
Military Expenditures 2015: 1.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 2,000 National Army (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Suriname Army has a limited inventory of older or secondhand armaments originating from such suppliers as Brazil, France, the Netherlands, and India (2025)
Military service age and obligation
18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
Military - note
the National Leger is responsible for defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Suriname against foreign aggression; other special tasks include border control and supporting domestic security as required; the military police, for example, have direct responsibility for immigration control at the country’s ports of entry, and the military assists the police in combating crime, particularly narco-trafficking, including joint military and police patrols, as well as joint special security teams; in addition, the military provides aid and assistance during times of natural emergencies and participates in socio-economic development projects (2025)