Country profile · Latin America & Caribbean

🇸🇷 Suriname

Upper middle income. Capital Paramaribo. Full World Bank, WHO, ILO & OECD indicator profile across 41 measures, with regional peers and rankings.

634.4K
Population
$4.4 billion
GDP
$6,962
GDP / capita
73.8 years
Life expectancy
Latin America & Caribbean Upper middle income Capital: Paramaribo

The verdict

Suriname ranks 173rd of 217 by total GDP and 118th for life expectancy - a upper middle income economy in Latin America & Caribbean.

#173
World GDP rank (of 217)
$6,962
GDP per capita
#118
Life-expectancy rank
#168
Population rank

Ranks are computed across the 217 countries with data for each indicator; see the full tables and sources below.

Suriname on the global income map

Suriname (SUR) plotted alongside its largest economic peers on GDP per capita and the Human Development Index. Bubble area scales with population; color encodes income tier; gold rings mark OECD members.

Suriname on the global income map Suriname positioned on the GDP-per-capita / HDI plane against its largest economic peers. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 $200 $1K $10K $100K GDP per capita (USD, log scale) Human Development Index (0–1) India - GDP/cap $2,695 · lower-middle income IND China - GDP/cap $13,303 · upper-middle income CHN United States - GDP/cap $84,534 · high income · OECD USA Indonesia - GDP/cap $4,925 · upper-middle income IDN Pakistan - GDP/cap $1,479 · lower-middle income Nigeria - GDP/cap $1,084 · low income Brazil - GDP/cap $10,311 · upper-middle income Bangladesh - GDP/cap $2,593 · lower-middle income Russian Federation - GDP/cap $14,889 · high income Ethiopia - GDP/cap $1,134 · low income Mexico - GDP/cap $14,186 · high income · OECD Japan - GDP/cap $32,487 · high income · OECD Egypt, Arab Rep. - GDP/cap $3,338 · lower-middle income Philippines - GDP/cap $3,985 · lower-middle income Congo, Dem. Rep. - GDP/cap $693 · low income Viet Nam - GDP/cap $4,717 · upper-middle income Iran, Islamic Rep. - GDP/cap $5,190 · upper-middle income Turkiye - GDP/cap $15,893 · high income · OECD Germany - GDP/cap $56,104 · high income · OECD Thailand - GDP/cap $7,387 · upper-middle income United Kingdom - GDP/cap $53,246 · high income · OECD Tanzania - GDP/cap $1,193 · lower-middle income France - GDP/cap $46,103 · high income · OECD South Africa - GDP/cap $6,267 · upper-middle income Italy - GDP/cap $40,385 · high income · OECD Kenya - GDP/cap $2,133 · lower-middle income Myanmar - GDP/cap $1,359 · lower-middle income Colombia - GDP/cap $7,951 · upper-middle income · OECD Korea, Rep. - GDP/cap $36,239 · high income · OECD Sudan - GDP/cap $985 · low income Suriname - GDP/cap $6,962 · upper-middle income Income tier Low Lower-middle Upper-middle High OECD member

Indicators tracked

41

Across 8 topic areas

GDP per capita

$6,962

Latest WB report

Population

634.4K

UN estimate

OECD member

No

Outside OECD harmonized stats

Population
634.4K
GDP
$4.4 billion
GDP per Capita
$6,962
Life Expectancy
73.8 years

Overview

Suriname has a population of 634.4K, making it the 168th-most populous country out of 217 tracked in Latin America & Caribbean.

Its economy totals $4.4 billion - ranked 173rd globally by total GDP. GDP per capita stands at $6,962, placing it in the Upper middle income category.

Life expectancy at birth is 73.8 years (ranked 118th globally), reflecting overall health outcomes as measured by the World Bank.

The capital is Paramaribo.

👥 Demographics

Population
634.4K
2024
Population Ages 0-14
25.6%
2024
Population Ages 65+
7.9%
2024
Population Density
3.9/km²
2023
Urban Population
65.8%
2024

💰 Economy

Foreign Direct Investment
$666.1 million
2024
GDP (Current USD)
$4.4 billion
2024
GDP Growth Rate
1.7%
2024
GDP Per Capita (Current USD)
$6,961.79
2024
Inflation (Consumer Prices)
16.2%
2024
Trade (% of GDP)
91.0%
2010
Unemployment Rate
7.6%
2024

🏥 Health

Health Expenditure (% of GDP)
5.4%
2023
Infant Mortality Rate
14.8 per 1,000
2024
Life Expectancy at Birth
73.8 years
2024
Maternal Mortality Ratio
84
2023
Physicians (per 1,000 people)
1.4 per 1,000
2023
Stunting Prevalence (under 5)
8.3
2018
Under-5 Mortality Rate
15.8 per 1,000
2024

📚 Education

Education Expenditure (% of GDP)
2.9%
2023
Literacy Rate (Adult)
92.9
2012
School Enrollment (Primary)
91.9
2024
School Enrollment (Secondary)
76.1
2023
School Enrollment (Tertiary)
2.6
2024
Youth Literacy Rate
97.7
2018

🌍 Environment

CO2 Emissions Per Capita
4.1
2024
Electric Power Consumption
2,897 kWh
2023
Forest Area
94.4
2023
Freshwater Withdrawal
0.6
2022
Renewable Energy Consumption
14.5%
2021

🏗️ Infrastructure

Access to Clean Water
55.8%
2024
Access to Electricity
99.6%
2023
Access to Sanitation
25.1%
2024
Internet Users
87.4%
2023
Mobile Subscriptions
142.1
2024

⚖️ Social

Female Labor Participation
44.9
2024
GINI Index
39.2
2022
Intentional Homicides
6.5
2023
Male Labor Participation
62.9
2024
Net Migration
-1,166
2024
Poverty (< $2.15/day)
2.2%
2022

🫀 Disease Burden

Key causes of death and disease risk in Suriname. Source: WHO Global Health Observatory.

NCD Death Rate
453
per 100K · 2021
Premature NCD Risk
18.7%
dying 30–70 from NCD
Road Traffic Deaths
16.2
per 100K
Suicide Rate
28.7
per 100K
TB Deaths
1.50
per 100K
Maternal Mortality
84
per 100K births

Sources: WHO Global Health Observatory. NCD mortality rate: 2021. Rates are age-standardized per 100,000 population. Premature NCD risk covers cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease.

Compare Suriname with Another Country

What the data says about Suriname

Suriname is classified as an upper-middle-income economy, a tier where statistical capacity, and therefore data completeness, varies more widely than in high-income countries, so a missing or older data point on this profile usually reflects reporting lag rather than an absence of the underlying activity. Output and income figures are reported at market exchange rates in current dollars, which means currency depreciation or appreciation can shift the headline numbers for a small economy like this one even when the real economy is barely moving. Because these economies are also the ones most likely to shift income tier within a decade, the trend over several years usually tells a more useful story than any single year's value.

Suriname sits in Latin America & Caribbean with a population of 634.4K, placing it 168th out of 217 countries by headcount. Its capital, Paramaribo, anchors a Upper middle income economy with total GDP of $4.4 billion - ranked 173rd globally, and GDP per capita of $6,962. This combination of demographic scale and economic output shapes everything from household purchasing power and domestic market depth to the country's weight in regional trade flows and international development programmes.

Life expectancy at birth in Suriname is 73.8 years, ranking 118th worldwide and offering a summary read on healthcare access, nutrition, sanitation, and long-run living standards. The World Bank's World Development Indicators, combined with the WHO Global Health Observatory and ILO ILOSTAT wage statistics, expose 41 data points across 7 thematic areas, from fertility and urbanisation to CO₂ emissions, school enrolment, and labour-force participation. Reading these indicators together, rather than in isolation, is what turns headline numbers into a grounded portrait of how people actually live.

Use the indicator tables below to track trajectories over time, jump to Suriname's placement on specific rankings such as GDP, population density, or life expectancy, and open the side-by-side Compare view to benchmark against peers inside Latin America & Caribbean or across income groups. Because all figures come from official, CC BY 4.0-licensed datasets with clear vintages, you can cite them directly in research or journalism. Where a field reads "N/A", the upstream agency has not yet released that value for Suriname - we never fabricate estimates or carry forward stale values, so missing points stay visible rather than quietly filled in.

Using the Suriname profile

A single rank only means something in context, read Suriname's numbers against its peers and over time.

  • Put Suriname side-by-side with another country to see exactly where the gaps are. Compare countries
  • See the full GDP table to find every country above and below Suriname's #173 position. GDP rankings
  • Browse Latin America & Caribbean to benchmark Suriname against its regional peers. Regional peers

Figures come from official World Bank, WHO, ILO and OECD releases; observation years differ by indicator (shown in the “Year” column) and unavailable values appear as “N/A” rather than estimates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the data for Suriname come from?

Data for Suriname is sourced from the World Bank Open Data catalog, WHO Global Health Observatory, and ILO ILOSTAT (for average wages and working hours). These are official, publicly available datasets.

How current is the data for Suriname?

It varies by indicator - most points are 2020-2024. See our methodology page for the update cadence per source.

Can I compare Suriname with other countries?

Yes - use the compare tool above, or the rankings catalog to see where Suriname stands on any single indicator.

What does GDP per capita tell us about Suriname?

Suriname's total output divided by its population, in current US dollars - an approximate read on average economic productivity per person. See our methodology page for the PPP-adjustment caveats.

How does Suriname's life expectancy compare to the global average?

73.8 years, ranking 118th of 217 countries tracked - against a global average near 73 years.

Does PlainCountries cover visa or travel information for Suriname?

No - PlainCountries is development and health data only. PlainVisa (plainvisa.com) covers immigration policy; PlainFlights (plainflights.com) covers flight routes.

Source: World Bank Open Data, Source: WHO Global Health Observatory, Source: ILO ILOSTAT. World Bank and ILO data licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or policy advice. Data is sourced from the World Bank, WHO, ILO, and OECD. See our full disclaimer and editorial policy.