Suriname - Economic Indicators

Economic Overview

Suriname’s economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil and gold accounting for approximately 85% of exports and 27% of government revenues. This makes the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. The worldwide drop in international commodity prices and the cessation of alumina mining in Suriname significantly reduced government revenue and national income during the past few years. After 99 years of operations, a major US aluminum company recently discontinued its activities in Suriname. Public sector revenues fell, together with exports,...

Continue reading View Factbook for Suriname

GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Nominal Gross Domestic Product 2022 89,471,626,000 60,733,614,000 SRG Annual
Investment 2017 14,068,000,000 13,469,750,100 NCU Annual
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2017 14,068,000,000 13,469,750,100 NCU Annual
Private Consumption 2017 8,063,543,365 6,432,369,973 SRG Annual
Government Consumption 2010 1,598 1,402 Mil. SRG Annual
Price Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Nov 2023 1,589 1,579 2010=100, NSA Monthly
Labor Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Agriculture Employment 2017 5,886 5,664 # Annual
Labor Force 2016 218,556 216,594 # Annual
Total Employment 1999 72.83 88.24 Ths. Annual
Unemployment Rate 1999 14 10.6 % Annual
Labor Force Employment 1999 72.83 88.24 Ths. Annual
Unemployment 1999 11.81 10.48 Ths. Annual
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Balance of Goods 2023 Q3 228,960,909 134,092,559 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods 2023 Q3 620,975,509 507,012,873 USD, NSA Quarterly
Imports of Goods 2023 Q3 392,014,599 372,920,313 USD, NSA Quarterly
Current Account Balance 2023 Q3 95,808,879 -32,001,117 USD, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods and Services 2019 17,701,563,000 17,171,984,518 SRG Annual
Imports of Goods and Services 2019 18,351,900,600 15,928,730,153 SRG Annual
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Money Market Rate Dec 2023 30 35 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Lending Rate Dec 2023 14.93 14.77 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Population 2020 586,634 581,363 # Annual
Net Migration 2017 -4,999 # Annual
Birth Rate 2016 18.22 18.45 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Death Rate 2016 7.31 7.25 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

Background:
First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English 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 August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power. President BOUTERSE was reelected unopposed in 2015.

Geography

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 163,820 sq km
land: 156,000 sq km
water: 7,820 sq km
country comparison to the world: 93
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,907 km
border countries (3): Brazil 515 km, French Guiana 556 km, Guyana 836 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps
Elevation:
mean elevation: 246 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore
Land use:
agricultural land: 0.5%
arable land 0.4%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0.1%
forest: 94.6%
other: 4.9% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
570 sq km (2012)
Population - distribution:
population concentrated along the northern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development; relatively small population, mostly along the coast

People & Society

Population:
591,919 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
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) 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.)
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 and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Religions:
Protestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed .7%, Lutheran .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.)
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 (Indonesian) 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.
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.62% (male 74,247/female 71,456)
15-24 years: 17.44% (male 52,599/female 50,618)
25-54 years: 44.4% (male 133,835/female 128,980)
55-64 years: 7.54% (male 21,940/female 22,697)
65 years and over: 6.01% (male 15,394/female 20,153) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 50.7
youth dependency ratio: 40.6
elderly dependency ratio: 10.1
potential support ratio: 9.9 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.8 years
male: 29.4 years
female: 30.2 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
Population growth rate:
1.02% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Birth rate:
15.8 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Death rate:
6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Net migration rate:
0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 62
Population distribution:
population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 0.75% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
PARAMARIBO (capital) 234,000 (2014)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
155 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.5 years
male: 70.1 years
female: 75.1 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
Total fertility rate:
1.93 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
47.6% (2010)
Health expenditures:
5.7% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 116
Hospital bed density:
3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 98.1% of population
rural: 88.4% of population
total: 94.8% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.9% of population
rural: 11.6% of population
total: 5.2% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 88.4% of population
rural: 61.4% of population
total: 79.2% of population
unimproved:
urban: 11.6% of population
rural: 38.6% of population
total: 20.8% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,900 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
<200 (2016 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
26.4% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 41
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
5.8% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 83
Education expenditures:
NA
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 96.1%
female: 95% (2015 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 16.4%
male: 7.8%
female: 30.7% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local long form: Republiek Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
etymology: name may derive from the indigenous "Surinen" people who inhabited the area at the time of European contact
Government type:
presidential republic
Capital:
name: Paramaribo
geographic coordinates: 5 50 N, 55 10 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica
Independence:
25 November 1975 (from the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)
Constitution:
previous 1975; latest ratified 30 September 1987, effective 30 October 1987; amended 1992 (2016)
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - the Commissie Nieuw Surinaamse Burgerlijk Wetboek completed drafting a new civil code in February 2009
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Desire Delano BOUTERSE (since 12 August 2010); Vice President Ashwin ADHIN (since 12 August 2015)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly; president and vice president serve a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020)
election results: Desire Delano BOUTERSE reelected president unopposed; National Assembly vote - NA
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
elections: last held on 25 May 2015 (next to be held in May 2020)
election results: percent of vote by party - NDP 45.5%, V7 37.2%, A-Com 10.5%, DOE 4.3%, PALU .7%, other 1.7%; seats by party - NDP 26, V7 18, A-Com 5, DOE 1, PALU 1
note: seats by party as of April 2017 - seats by party - NDP 26, VHP 9, ABOP 5, PL 3, NPS 2, BEP 2, DOE 1, PALU 1, independent 2
Judicial branch:
highest resident court(s): High Court of Justice of Suriname (consists of the court president, vice president, and 4 judges); note - appeals beyond the High Court are referred to the Caribbean Court of Justice; human rights violations can be appealed to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights with judgments issued by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights
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 appointed for life
subordinate courts: cantonal courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alternative Combination or A-Com (coalition includes ABOP, KTPI, Party for Democracy and Development)
Brotherhood and Unity in Politics or BEP [Celsius WATERBERG]
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA91 [Angelique DEL CASTILLO]
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie BRUNSWIJK}
National Democratic Party or NDP [Desire Delano BOUTERSE]
National Party of Suriname or NPS [Gregory RUSLAND]
Party for Democracy and Development in Unity or DOE [Carl BREEVELD]
Party for National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]
People's Alliance, Pertjaja Luhur or PL [Paul SOMOHARDJO]
Progressive Worker and Farmer's Union or PALU [Jim HOK]
Surinamese Labor Party or SPA [Guno CASTELEN]
Progressive Reform Party or VHP [Chandrikapersad SANTOKHI]
Victory 7 or V7 [Chandrikapresad SANTOKHI] (formerly the New Front for Democracy and Development or NF; an electoral coalition of NPS, VHP, DA91, PL, SPA formed only for the May 2015 election)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs [Lesley ARTIST]
Association of Saramaccan Authorities or Maroons [Stiefen PETRUSI]
Women's Parliament Forum or WPF (Vrouwen Parlement Forum or VPF) [Iris GILLIAD]
International organization participation:
ACP, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Niermala Sakoentala BADRISING (since 21 July 2017)
chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 244-7488
FAX: [1] (202) 244-5878
consulate(s) general: Miami
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edwin "Ned" Richard NOLAN, Jr.(since 11 January 2016)
embassy: 165 Kristalstraat, Paramaribo
mailing address: US Department of State, PO Box 1821, Paramaribo
telephone: [597] 472-900
FAX: [597] 410-972
Flag description:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width); a large, yellow, five-pointed star is centered in the red band; red stands for progress and love; green symbolizes hope and fertility; white signifies peace, justice, and freedom; the star represents the unity of all ethnic groups; from its yellow light the nation draws strength to bear sacrifices patiently while working toward a golden future
National symbol(s):
royal palm, faya lobi (flower); national colors: green, white, red, yellow
National anthem:
name: "God zij met ons Suriname!" (God Be With Our Suriname)
lyrics/music: Cornelis Atses HOEKSTRA and Henry DE ZIEL/Johannes Corstianus DE PUY
note: adopted 1959; originally adapted from a Sunday school song written in 1893 and contains lyrics in both Dutch and Sranang Tongo

Economy

Economy - overview:
Suriname’s economy is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil and gold accounting for approximately 85% of exports and 27% of government revenues. This makes the economy highly vulnerable to mineral price volatility. The worldwide drop in international commodity prices and the cessation of alumina mining in Suriname significantly reduced government revenue and national income during the past few years. After 99 years of operations, a major US aluminum company recently discontinued its activities in Suriname. Public sector revenues fell, together with exports, international reserves, employment, and private sector investment.
Economic growth declined annually from just under 5% in 2012 to -10.4% in 2016. In January 2011, the government devalued the currency by 20% and raised taxes to reduce the budget deficit. Suriname began instituting macro adjustments between September 2015 and 2016; these included another 20% currency devaluation in November 2015 and foreign currency interventions by the Central Bank until March 2016, after which time the Bank allowed the Surinamese dollar (SRD) to float. By December 2016, the SRD had lost 46% of its value against the dollar. High import price pass-through from depreciation and electricity tariff increases caused inflation to increase 55.5% year-over-year in December 2016.
Suriname's economic prospects for the medium-term will depend on continued commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and on the introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote competition. The government's over-reliance on revenue from the extractive sector colors Suriname's economic outlook. One credit bureau forecasted that the economy would contract 2% in 2017. Rising international oil prices and higher production by Suriname’s oil company, Staatsolie’s, will lift oil exports. Two new offshore oil exploration wells will draw 100 million dollars in foreign direct investment inflows. Higher gold prices and increased production from the Merian gold mine also will lift exports. However, investment overall is slowing and unemployment is rising, reflecting government spending cuts, weak business confidence, and the completion of large mining infrastructure projects. Fiscal problems, such as a failure to secure sufficient external financing, could result in additional pressure on the exchange rate and inflation.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$7.928 billion (2017 est.)
$8.023 billion (2016 est.)
$8.964 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 165
GDP (official exchange rate):
$3.665 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.2% (2017 est.)
-10.5% (2016 est.)
-2.7% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,900 (2017 est.)
$14,200 (2016 est.)
$16,100 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 113
Gross national saving:
50.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
57.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
51.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 32.8%
government consumption: 16.1%
investment in fixed capital: 64.1%
investment in inventories: 26.5%
exports of goods and services: 50.6%
imports of goods and services: -63.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 11.6%
industry: 31.1%
services: 57.4% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts; beef, chickens; shrimp; forest products
Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production; oil, lumbering, food processing, fishing
Industrial production growth rate:
1.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Labor force:
144,000 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 11.2%
industry: 19.5%
services: 69.3% (2010 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (2017 est.)
11% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $545.7 million
expenditures: $805.5 million (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
14.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-7.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
Public debt:
64.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
45.7% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
22.3% (2017 est.)
55.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
Central bank discount rate:
10% (2013 est.)
9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
20.5% (31 December 2017 est.)
13.5% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Stock of narrow money:
$1.08 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$921.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
Stock of broad money:
$2.355 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.182 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.513 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.402 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Current account balance:
$344 million (2017 est.)
$-102 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Exports:
$1.976 billion (2017 est.)
$1.449 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Exports - commodities:
alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Exports - partners:
Switzerland 28.3%, UAE 27.1%, Belgium 9.1%, Guyana 9%, US 4.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.5% (2016)
Imports:
$1.57 billion (2017 est.)
$1.197 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 21.2%, Netherlands 10.9%, China 10.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.1%, St. Lucia 7% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$381.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$330.2 million (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Debt - external:
$1.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.625 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
Exchange rates:
Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -
7.7 (2017 est.)
6.23 (2016 est.)
6.23 (2015 est.)
3.42 (2014 est.)
3.3 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
Electricity - production:
2.19 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - consumption:
1.948 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
435,000 kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
54.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
43.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
1.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Crude oil - production:
17,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Crude oil - proved reserves:
83.98 million bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Refined petroleum products - production:
7,632 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
14,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Refined petroleum products - exports:
10,620 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Refined petroleum products - imports:
9,938 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
2.4 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 89,030
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 15 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 806,881
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 136 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 150 telephones per 100 persons; microwave radio relay network is in place
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2017)
Broadcast media:
2 state-owned TV stations; 1 state-owned radio station; multiple private radio and TV stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.sr
Internet users:
total: 265,964
percent of population: 45.4% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 2
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 259,682
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 29,324,319 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
PZ (2016)
Airports:
55 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 85
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 5 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 49
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 45 (2013)
Pipelines:
oil 50 km (2013)
Roadways:
total: 4,304 km
paved: 1,130 km
unpaved: 3,174 km (2003)
country comparison to the world: 154
Waterways:
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 58
Merchant marine:
total: 10
by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 3, other 2 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 148
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Paramaribo, Wageningen

Military & Security

Military branches:
Suriname Army (National Leger, NL): Army, Coast Guard, Air Force (2017)
Military service age and obligation:
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; personnel drawn almost exclusively from the Creole community (2012)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UN Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitration to resolve the longstanding dispute with Suriname over the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Suriname is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking and men, women, and children subjected to forced labor; women and girls from Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic are subjected to sex trafficking in the country, sometimes in interior mining camps; migrant workers in agriculture and on fishing boats and children working in informal urban sectors and gold mines are vulnerable to forced labor; traffickers from Suriname exploit victims in the Netherlands
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Suriname does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; in 2014, Suriname was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; authorities increased the number of trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and convictions as compared to 2013, but resources were insufficient to conduct investigations in the country’s interior; more trafficking victims were identified in 2014 than in 2013, but protective services for adults and children were inadequate, with a proposed government shelter for women and child trafficking victims remaining unopened (2015)
Illicit drugs:
growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for Europe via the Netherlands and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

Economic Indicators for Suriname including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Suriname economy.