Browse economic indicators and data sets

Suriname

Browse economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Suriname economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.

Basic Information

Government Type: Presidential republic

Capital City: Paramaribo

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Central Bank of Suriname
Currency Surinamese dollars (SRD)
International Reserves USD 0.6 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 3.4 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 8.9 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2014 0.3%
2015 -3.4%
2016 -5.6%
2017* 1.7%
2018* 2.0%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 5,799.2 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 15,105.3 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 0.007% (2019 estimate)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 12.6%
industry: 32.3%
services: 48.7%
(2016 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2014 6.9%
2015 55.5%
2016 22%
2017* 6.9%
2018* 5.5%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2014 6.9%
2015 55.5%
2016 22%
2017* 6.9%
2018* 5.5%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings
Standard & Poor’s: B

Moody’s: B2

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate 2014 7.2%
2015 9.7%
2016 8.0%
2017* 7.7%
2018* 7.3%

*Estimate
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2014 43.4%
2015 75.2%
2016 78.0%
2017* 72.8%
2018* 75.6%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2014 -8.0%
2015 -9.0%
2016 -9.2%
2017* -7.2%
2018* -9.8%

*Estimate

Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 52.5% (2018)

Shares in world total merchandising export 0.01% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export 0.002% (2018)
Total exports USD 2.3 billion (2018 estimate)
Export commodities Alumina, gold, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas
Total imports USD 2.1 billion (2018 estimate)
Import commodities Capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods
Exports – major partners Switzerland 38%, Hong Kong 21.9%, Belgium 10.1%, UAE 7.2%, Guyana 6.1% (2017)
Imports – major partners US 30.6%, Netherlands 14.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 11.4%, China 7.6% (2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD -0.2 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP -5.5% (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016 USD 309 million
2017 USD 161 million
2018 USD 190 million
FDI Outflows N/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business Overall ranking: 162 out of 190 countries (2018)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 182 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 115 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 145 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 157 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 181 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 157 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 107 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 87 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 188 out of 190

Resolving Insolvency: 139 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom Ranking: 165 / Score: 48.1 (Repressed) (2019)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Total Area 163,820 sq km

Total Population 1990 0.41 Million
2000 0.47 Million
2010 0.53 Million
2015 0.57 Million
2020 0.61 Million
Urban population as % of total population 1960 47%
1980 65%
2000 66%
2018 66%
Population median age 30.2 years (2018 estimate)
Population growth rate 1% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy 72.8 years (2018 estimate)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day N/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) N/A
Freedom House rating Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 3 (2019)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed 15.3% Mobile 139.5% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 48.95% (2015)

Language & Religon

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
Literacy Total population: 95.6%
Male: 96.1%
Female: 95% (2018 est.)

(age 15 and over can read and write)
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.)

World Rankings

Population 0.61 million
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 3.6 metric tons (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Suriname

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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