Capital

Suriname

name: Paramaribo

geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W

time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name may be the corruption of a Carib (Kalina) village or tribe named Parmirbo

Citizenship

Suriname

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Suriname

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Suriname

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - a new criminal code was enacted in 2017

Suffrage

Suriname

18 years of age; universal

Area

Suriname

total: 163,820 sq km

land: 156,000 sq km

water: 7,820 sq km

Land use

Suriname

agricultural land: 0.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 94.6% (2018 est.)

other: 4.9% (2018 est.)

Location

Suriname

Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana

Age structure

Suriname

0-14 years: 22.77% (male 73,914/female 71,762)

15-64 years: 69.96% (male 223,807/female 223,762)

65 years and over: 7.27% (2023 est.) (male 19,152/female 27,362)

Birth rate

Suriname

15.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Suriname

6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Suriname

Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

Life expectancy at birth

Suriname

total population: 72.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 68.9 years

female: 76.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Suriname

239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)

Median age

Suriname

total: 31.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 30.7 years

female: 32.6 years

Net migration rate

Suriname

2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Suriname

population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated

Population growth rate

Suriname

1.11% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Suriname

1.91 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Suriname

urban population: 66.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Suriname

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Suriname

-7.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Suriname

-10.92% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Suriname

244,200 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Suriname

70% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate

Suriname

10.06% (2021 est.)

9.78% (2020 est.)

8.04% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Suriname

69.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

75.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Suriname

59.11% (2021 est.)

34.89% (2020 est.)

22% (2017 est.)

Exports

Suriname

$2.299 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.446 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.287 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Suriname

Switzerland 51%, United Arab Emirates 22%, Belgium 6%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, Guyana 2% (2021)

Imports

Suriname

$1.876 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$1.845 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$2.413 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Suriname

United States 19%, China 16%, Netherlands 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 8%, Japan 3% (2021)

Airports

Suriname

55 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Suriname

total: 92,270 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Suriname

total: 402,600 (2021 est.)

percent of population: 66% (2021 est.)

Roadways

Suriname

total: 4,304 km (2003)

paved: 1,119 km (2003)

unpaved: 3,185 km (2003)

Telephones - fixed lines

Suriname

total subscriptions: 119,977 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Suriname

total subscriptions: 906,170 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 148 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Suriname

1,200 km (2011) (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m)

Disputes - international

Suriname

Suriname-Brazil: none identified

Suriname-France (French Guiana): in March 2021, Suriname and France signed an agreement to establish their border along the Maroni River and its tributary the Lawa River and to cooperate in combatting illegal gold mining; however, the area further south between the Litani and Marouini Rivers is still disputed, with Suriname claiming the border is along the Marouini to the east and France arguing it is along the Litani River to the west

Suriname-Guyana: the two countries dispute the territory between two rivers, known as the New River Triangle, with Suriname contending that the New River (also called the Upper Corentyne) to the west marks their common border, while Guyana asserts that the Kutari River to the east forms the border; each side claims that their river is the source of the Corentyne River that forms a border further north between the two countries; the Permanent Court of Arbitration settled the maritime boundary between Suriname and Guyana in 2007 in an area with potentially substantial oil reserves