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Page last updated on February 5, 2013
Nationality:
noun: Surinamer(s)
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) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%
Languages:
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%
Demographic profile:
Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.
Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.
Population:
560,157 (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
[see also: Population country ranks ]
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.5% (male 78,366/female 75,401)
[see also: Age structure 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years:
17.4% (male 49,814/female 47,766)
25-54 years:
43.5% (male 124,112/female 119,828)
55-64 years:
6% (male 16,212/female 17,427)
65 years and over:
5.6% (male 13,562/female 17,669) (2012 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.6 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male:
27.3 years
female:
28 years (2012 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.222% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]
Birth rate:
17.44 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]
Death rate:
6.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]
Net migration rate:
0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]
Urbanization:
urban population: 69% of total population (2010)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization:
1.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
PARAMARIBO (capital) 259,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
130 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]
Infant mortality rate:
total: 28.94 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 69
male:
33.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
24.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.12 years
country comparison to the world: 143
male:
68.78 years
female:
73.58 years (2012 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.08 children born/woman (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]
Health expenditures:
7.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 63
[see also: Health expenditures country ranks ]
Physicians density:
0.45 physicians/1,000 population (2000)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]
Hospital bed density:
3.1 beds/1,000 population (2007)
[see also: Hospital bed density country ranks ]
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 90% of population
rural: 66% of population
total: 84% of population
unimproved:
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