Suriname is a country in South America. Its capital is Paramaribo.
South America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Paramaribo; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapSuriname has a low Atlantic coastal plain backed by a largely forested interior. The land gradually rises toward hills and uplands farther south. Large rivers connect the interior with coastal settlements and the sea.
The Suriname River includes both broad lower reaches and more rugged inland stretches. Mangroves and coastal wetlands contrast with rainforest and rocky upland terrain. Most people live in the northern coastal zone rather than throughout the forested interior.
Suriname has a warm, humid tropical climate. Trade winds and seasonal rainfall patterns influence conditions, particularly along the Atlantic coast.
High rainfall supports rivers and forest growth. Tides and sediment shape the low coast, while inland catchments contain freshwater habitats. Changes in land use upstream can influence water quality and sediment farther downstream.
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
A view from Voltzberg looks across the extensive tropical forest of central Suriname.
Photo: David Evers from Amsterdam, Netherlands · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Morning light falls across the river near Babunhol.
Photo: Andrawaag · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Dutch is the official language and is used in administration and formal education. Sranan Tongo is widely used for communication across communities.
Sarnami Hindustani, Javanese, Maroon languages such as Saramaccan and Ndyuka, and Indigenous languages are also spoken. These reflect different histories of enslavement, indentured labor, migration and Indigenous settlement.
Suriname’s Indigenous peoples and Maroon communities are important to its history. Dutch colonial rule developed a plantation economy based on slavery; after emancipation, indentured workers arrived from India and Java. Suriname became independent from the Netherlands in 1975 through a negotiated transition. A military coup followed in 1980, and subsequent years brought repression and internal conflict. Elected government returned in 1991 after another military intervention.
Gold mining, onshore petroleum, agriculture and services are important economic activities. Rice, bananas and timber contribute to production and trade. Bauxite and alumina were historically central but are no longer the dominant export base they once were. Offshore oil development may change the economy, but planned production is distinct from existing output.
Gold mining, onshore petroleum and refining, rice, timber and services. Bauxite and alumina are historically important industries.
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 379,442 | 379.442 |
| 1980 | 375,377 | 375.377 |
| 1990 | 412,493 | 412.493 |
| 2000 | 476,643 | 476.643 |
| 2010 | 549,923 | 549.923 |
| 2020 | 612,317 | 612.317 |
| 2025 | 639,850 | 639.850 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2,670,873,906 | 2.671 |
| 1991 | 2,742,987,479 | 2.743 |
| 1992 | 2,753,959,429 | 2.754 |
| 1993 | 2,569,444,198 | 2.569 |
| 1994 | 2,656,805,273 | 2.657 |
| 1995 | 2,656,805,273 | 2.657 |
| 1996 | 2,683,373,358 | 2.683 |
| 1997 | 2,836,325,577 | 2.836 |
| 1998 | 2,901,561,112 | 2.902 |
| 1999 | 2,860,939,243 | 2.861 |
| 2000 | 2,921,018,935 | 2.921 |
| 2001 | 3,043,701,742 | 3.044 |
| 2002 | 3,128,925,412 | 3.129 |
| 2003 | 3,326,047,695 | 3.326 |
| 2004 | 3,608,761,755 | 3.609 |
| 2005 | 3,771,156,042 | 3.771 |
| 2006 | 3,989,639,611 | 3.990 |
| 2007 | 4,193,569,552 | 4.194 |
| 2008 | 4,367,326,198 | 4.367 |
| 2009 | 4,498,944,264 | 4.499 |
| 2010 | 4,731,486,826 | 4.731 |
| 2011 | 5,008,248,887 | 5.008 |
| 2012 | 5,142,988,298 | 5.143 |
| 2013 | 5,293,854,859 | 5.294 |
| 2014 | 5,307,380,819 | 5.307 |
| 2015 | 5,126,237,646 | 5.126 |
| 2016 | 4,874,454,256 | 4.874 |
| 2017 | 4,950,790,054 | 4.951 |
| 2018 | 5,195,768,566 | 5.196 |
| 2019 | 5,256,433,829 | 5.256 |
| 2020 | 4,416,708,447 | 4.417 |
| 2021 | 4,309,144,555 | 4.309 |
| 2022 | 4,412,832,155 | 4.413 |
| 2023 | 4,519,472,310 | 4.519 |
| 2024 | 4,597,250,508 | 4.597 |
| 2025 | 4,679,619,056 | 4.680 |
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
A republic in which the National Assembly elects the President, normally requiring a two-thirds majority. If the required majority is not reached, a broader United People’s Assembly makes the choice. The President heads the executive and the National Assembly has one chamber.
Three questions about Suriname.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
