Suriname flag

The People of Suriname

Surinamese People

Suriname's map

Population: 481,267 (July 2009 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.1% (male 66,603/female 64,035) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 159,525/female 160,871) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 13,004/female 17,229) (2009 est.)

Median age: total: 27.9 years male: 27.5 years female: 28.3 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.103% (2009 est.)

Death rate: 5.51 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 18.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.73 years male: 71 years female: 76.65 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.4% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 6,800 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 500 (2003 est.)

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) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%, "Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions: Hindu 27.4%, Protestant 25.2% (predominantly Moravian), Roman Catholic 22.8%, Muslim 19.6%, indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages: Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.6% male: 92% female: 87.2% (2004 census)