Suriname at its true size
Suriname covers 163,270 km², number 91 of 194 countries by area. Home to 639,850 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 163,270 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 639,850 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 3.9 per km² |
| Capital | Paramaribo |
| Local time in Paramaribo | |
| Time zone | UTC−3 IANA |
| Currency | Surinamese dollar (SRD) Wikidata |
| Languages | Dutch |
| Traffic | On the left |
| Region | South America, South America |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +597 |
| Codes | SR · SUR · 740 |
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Where Suriname ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#164 of 194639,850 people#12 of 12 in South America
- Population density#189 of 1943.9 people per km²#11 of 12 in South America
- Urban population#87 of 19266% urban#10 of 12 in South America
- Fertility rate#83 of 1922.23 births per woman#4 of 12 in South America
- Population growth#105 of 192+0.85% a year#5 of 12 in South America
- Birth rate#85 of 19217.2 births per 1,000 people#4 of 12 in South America
- Death rate#112 of 1926.8 deaths per 1,000 people#7 of 12 in South America
- Children under 15#89 of 19225.3% under 15#4 of 12 in South America
- People over 65#93 of 1928.2% aged 65 and over#9 of 12 in South America
- Net migration#128 of 192−1.5 per 1,000 people#9 of 12 in South America
- Refugees abroad#119 of 1900.09 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#7 of 12 in South America
Health & education
- Life expectancy#96 of 19273.8 years#9 of 12 in South America
- Infant mortality#83 of 19114.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births#3 of 12 in South America
- Doctors#98 of 1781.36 doctors per 1,000 people#10 of 11 in South America
- University enrolment#145 of 1452.6% gross enrolment#8 of 8 in South America
- Human Development Index#113 of 190an index of 0.722#11 of 12 in South America
Economy
- GNI per capita#104 of 185$6,140 a person#10 of 12 in South America
- Internet users#71 of 18487% online#4 of 12 in South America
- GDP per capita (PPP)#85 of 184$22,652 a person#6 of 11 in South America
- GDP growth#137 of 187+1.8% a year#9 of 12 in South America
- Inflation#22 of 176+9.2% a year#3 of 11 in South America
- Unemployment#52 of 1787.8% of the labour force#4 of 12 in South America
- Extreme poverty#71 of 1492.2% under $3.00 a day#5 of 10 in South America
- Income inequality (Gini)#44 of 149a Gini index of 39.2#10 of 10 in South America
- Jobs in agriculture#121 of 1787.0% of jobs#10 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in industry#34 of 17826.1% of jobs#2 of 12 in South America
- Jobs in services#65 of 17866.9% of jobs#6 of 12 in South America
- Foreign investment#2 of 18445.4% of GDP#1 of 12 in South America
- Mobile subscriptions#32 of 191142 subscriptions per 100 people#3 of 12 in South America
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#59 of 1854.06 tonnes a person#2 of 12 in South America
- Forest area#2 of 19292% forest#1 of 12 in South America
- Renewable energy#125 of 19014.5% renewable#9 of 12 in South America
- Access to electricity#112 of 19299.0% with electricity#5 of 12 in South America
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#112 of 19115.7 µg/m³#8 of 12 in South America
- Protected land#119 of 19114.8% of the land protected#9 of 12 in South America
- Arable land#186 of 1900.3% of the land arable#12 of 12 in South America
- Water stress#130 of 1764.0% of its available fresh water#7 of 12 in South America
- Precipitation#19 of 1802,331 mm a year#3 of 12 in South America
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Suriname’s area, lit up on the map →
- Tunisia1.0×Suriname and Tunisia are almost exactly the same size.
- Uruguay0.93×Suriname is 7% smaller than Uruguay.
- Bangladesh1.11×Suriname is 11% larger than Bangladesh.
- Cambodia0.9×Suriname is 10% smaller than Cambodia.
- Nepal1.11×Suriname is 11% larger than Nepal.
- Syria0.88×Suriname is 12% smaller than Syria.
How many times does Suriname fit into…
- Russia: about 105 times
- Canada: about 61 times
- United States: about 60 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Suriname shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Summits
- Julianatop1,280 m
Lakes
- Van Blommestein Meer1,600 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Suriname. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Suriname
- How big is Suriname?
- Suriname covers 163,270 km², which makes it number 91 of 194 countries by area. About 639,850 people live there (2025), 3.9 per km².
- Is Suriname bigger than Tunisia?
- Suriname and Tunisia are almost exactly the same size. Suriname: 163,270 km²; Tunisia: 163,610 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Suriname?
- Suriname lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Suriname?
- Suriname shares a land border with Brazil, France, Guyana.