2020 Edition

Background

The Spaniards first explored Suriname in the 16th century, and the English then settled it in the mid-17th century. Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. The Netherlands granted the colony independence in 1975. Five years later, the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared Suriname a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government -- a four-party coalition -- returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE ran unopposed in 2015 and was reelected. Opposition parties campaigned hard against BOUTERSE in the run-up to the 2020 elections, and a multi-party coalition led by Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI’s VHP and Ronnie Brunswijk’s ABOP was installed.

Area

land

156,000 sq km

total

163,820 sq km

water

7,820 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

386 km

Elevation

highest point

Juliana Top 1,230 m

lowest point

unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m

mean elevation

246 m

Geographic coordinates

4 00 N, 56 00 W

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

Irrigated land

600 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Brazil 515 km; French Guiana 556 km; Guyana 836 km

total

1,907 km

Land use

agricultural land

0.4% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2023 est.)

forest

91.7% (2023 est.)

other

7.9% (2023 est.)

Location

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Amazon (6,145,186 sq km)

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

flooding

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Age structure

0-14 years

22.5% (male 73,864/female 71,573)

15-64 years

70% (male 226,417/female 226,235)

65 years and over

7.5% (2024 est.) (male 20,071/female 28,598)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.4 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.87 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

6.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

14.63 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

19.6% (2018)

women married by age 15

8.8% (2018)

women married by age 18

36% (2018)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.7% (2018 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

52.2% (2018 est.)

Death rate

6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

11.2 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

8.9 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

43 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

31.8 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 96.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 98% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 98.7% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 3.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

2.9% of GDP (2023 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

8.6% national budget (2024 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.7% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

13.1% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

21 deaths/1,000 live births

male

37.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

29.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population), 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

female

76.7 years

male

69 years

total population

72.7 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

84 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

32.9 years

male

31 years

total

32.3 years (2025 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Surinamese

noun

Surinamer(s)

Net migration rate

2.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.4% (2016)

Physician density

1.36 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

329,858

male

323,747

total

653,605 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.04% (2025 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 91.2% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 96.1% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 98.5% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 8.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 3.9% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.5% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

11 years (2021 est.)

male

10 years (2021 est.)

total

11 years (2021 est.)

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

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

66.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Capital

etymology

the name comes from the Guaraní words para (water or river) and maribo (inhabitants)

geographic coordinates

5 50 N, 55 10 W

name

Paramaribo

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by the National Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership

history

previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Suriname

conventional short form

Suriname

etymology

name may derive from the Surinen people who inhabited the area at the time of European contact

former

Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana

local long form

Republiek Suriname

local short form

Suriname

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert J. FAUCHER (since 31 January 2023)

email address and website

caparamar@state.gov https://sr.usembassy.gov/

embassy

165 Kristalstraat, Paramaribo

FAX

[597] 551-524

mailing address

3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington DC 20521-3390

telephone

[597] 556-700

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Jan Marten Willem SCHALKWIJK (since 19 April 2022)

consulate(s) general

Miami

email address and website

amb.vs@gov.sr https://surinameembassy.org/index.html

FAX

[1] (202) 629-4769

telephone

[1] (202) 629-4302

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025)

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

election/appointment process

president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly; president and vice president serve a 5-year term (no term limits)

expected date of next election

2030

head of government

President Jennifer GEERLINGS-SIMONS (since 16 July 2025)

most recent election date

6 July 2025

Flag

description: five horizontal bands of green (top, double-width), white, red (quadruple-width), white, and green (double-width); a five-pointed yellow star is centered on the red band 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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges)

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

Legal system

civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

May 2030

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

National Assembly (Nationale Assemblee)

most recent election date

5/25/2025

number of seats

51 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

National Democratic Party (NDP) (18); Progressive Reform Party (VHP) (17); National Party of Suriname (NPS) (6); General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP) (6); Other (4)

percentage of women in chamber

31.4%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday-school song written in 1893; contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo

lyrics/music

Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY

title

"God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname)

National color(s)

green, white, red, yellow

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)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (2 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

National symbol(s)

royal palm, faya lobi (flower)

Political parties

Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

rice, sugarcane, oranges, vegetables, chicken, cassava, plantains, pineapples, eggs, citrus fruits (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$1.648 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$863 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$76.321 million (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$148.118 million (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$9.306 million (2024 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2023

$2.645 billion (2023 est.)

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

Exchange rates

Currency

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

9.31 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

18.239 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

24.709 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

36.776 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

33.181 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$2.6 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$2.533 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$2.793 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, fish, refined petroleum, wood, tobacco (2023)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 49%, UAE 28%, Guyana 5%, USA 4%, France 3% (2023)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

7.5% (2023 est.)

industry

39.9% (2023 est.)

services

48.3% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.714 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

39.2 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.1% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.2% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$2.342 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$2.203 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$2.571 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, ships, excavation machinery, trucks, tobacco (2023)

Imports - partners

USA 22%, China 12%, Netherlands 11%, Trinidad & Tobago 9%, Guyana 8% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

2.1% (2023 est.)

Industries

gold mining, oil, lumber, food processing, fishing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

52.4% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

51.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

16.2% (2024 est.)

Labor force

255,500 (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

75.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$11.68 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$11.976 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$12.316 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.4% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.5% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

2.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$18,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$19,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$19,400 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

3.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

4.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

3.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$1.195 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.346 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$1.632 billion (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

8.2% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

7.7% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

7.4% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

35.9% (2024 est.)

male

16.9% (2024 est.)

total

24.2% (2024 est.)

Coal

imports

2 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1.896 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

537,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

245.206 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

98%

electrification - total population

99% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

100%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

57.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

42% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

60.896 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

6.967 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

7.173 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

89 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

17,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

20 (2022 est.)

total

125,000 (2022 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

percent of population

78% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

20 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

129,000 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

142 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

902,000 (2024 est.)

Airports

55 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

PZ

Heliports

1 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 3, other 5

total

13 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Moengo, Nieuw Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam

large

0

medium

0

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

3

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)

Military and security forces

Suriname National Army (Nationaal Leger or NL); Army (Landmacht), Navy (Marine); Air Force (Luchtmacht), Military Police (Korps Militaire Politie) Ministry of Justice and Police: Suriname Police Force (Korps Politie Suriname or KPS) (2026)

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 expenditures

Military Expenditures 2015

1.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

Military Expenditures 2016

1.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.2% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

3,241 (2024 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from consumed natural gas

14,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.507 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

2.521 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

deforestation; pollution of inland waterways from small-scale mining activities

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

12.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

99 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

431.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

135.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

49.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

78,600 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

16.9% (2022 est.)