Suriname Flag

Suriname

Capital:
Paramaribo
Continent:
South America
Largest Cities:
Paramaribo
Abbreviation:
SUR

Suriname is a country in South America, known for its pristine rainforests and cultural diversity. It has a population of nearly 640 thousand, making it the 170th largest country in the world. Its official language is Portuguese, and the capital is Paramaribo. Suriname has a resource-based economy.

639.9K
Total Population
170
Population Rank
4.10
Density (km²)
5.4K 0.88%
Annual Population Growth

Population of Suriname

Suriname's population structure shows a nearly equal male to female ratio of 1.00 to 1, with a median male age of 28.87 years old and a median female age of 29.86 years old. The highest concentration of adults under 75 years old is in the 23 and 22 year-old age groups, while the lowest concentration is in the 74 and 73 year-old age groups.

Suriname Population

Data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

Suriname Population Clock

Suriname Population*
637,694
Births per Day
30
Deaths per Day
12
Emigrations per Day
3
Net Change per Day
15
2025 Population Change*
555

* As of 2/6/2025

1 birth

Every 48.0 minutes

1 death

Every 2.0 hours

1 emigrant

Every 8.0 hours

1 person

Every 1.6 hours

Population by City

City
2025 Pop.
Paramaribo223,757

Suriname Overview

90% of the population live in Paramaribo or the coast. Paramaribo is the capital and largest city with a population of 250,000, or close to half of the country’s population. Suriname is by far one of the least densely populated countries in the world with just 3 people per square kilometer (7/sq mi), which ranks 231st in the world.

Suriname Demographics

There are many distinct ethnic groups in Suriname. The largest are East Indians (37%), who are descended from 19th century contract workers who arrived from India. Suriname Creoles (31%) are mixed descendants of West African slaves and primarily Dutch Europeans. The Javanese (15%) are descended from contract workers from the Dutch East Indies on Java, Indonesia. The Surinamese Maroons (10%) are descended from escaped West African slaves and are divided into five groups: Ndyuka, Kwinti, Matawai, Saramaccans and Paramaccans.

Amerindians (3.7%) are the original inhabitants of Suriname and include groups like the Wayana, Arawak, Akuriyo, Carib/Kalina, and Trio and live mostly in Paramaribo, Wanica, Marowijne, and Spialiwini.

Other groups include the Chinese, with about 14,000 descendants from early 19th century contract workers and immigrants during the 1990’s and 21st century; Europeans, who are mostly descended from Dutch 19th century farmers and Portuguese; Arabs; Jews, who are descended from Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews; and Brazilians, most of whom are gold miners.

There are approximately 328,000 Surinamese in the Netherlands, compared to the 568,000 population of Suriname itself.

Suriname is the only independent country in the Americas that speaks Dutch.