This article needs additional citations for verification .(May 2011) |
Demographics of Suriname | |
---|---|
Population | 632,638 (2022 est.) |
Growth rate | 1.13% (2022 est.) |
Birth rate | 15.38 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Death rate | 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Life expectancy | 72.42 years |
Fertility rate | 1.92 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
Infant mortality rate | 30.25 deaths/1,000 live births |
Net migration rate | 2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 23.38% |
65 and over | 6.55% |
Nationality | |
Nationality | Surinamese |
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1921 | 107,723 | — |
1950 | 198,668 | +2.13% |
1964 | 324,211 | +3.56% |
1972 | 379,607 | +1.99% |
1980 | 354,860 | −0.84% |
2004 | 492,464 | +1.37% |
2012 | 541,638 | +1.20% |
2016 | 558,368 | +0.76% |
Source: [1] 2016 daat [2] [3] |
This is a demography of the population of Suriname, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population.
Most Surinamese people live in the narrow, northern coastal plain. The population is one of the most ethnically varied in the world. Each ethnic group preserves its own culture, and many institutions, including political parties, tend to follow ethnic lines. Informal relationships vary: the upper classes of all ethnic backgrounds mix freely; outside of the elite, social relations tend to remain within ethnic groupings. All groups may be found in the schools and workplace.
According to the 2022 revision of the World Population Prospects [2] [3] the total population was 612,985 in 2021, compared to only 215,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 28.6%, 65% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.5% was 65 years or older . [4] According to 2012 census, there were 270,629 males and 271,009 females in Suriname. [5]
Year | Total population (x 1000) | Proportion (%) aged | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
0–14 | 15–64 | 65+ | ||
1950 | 215 | 40.0 | 54.0 | 6.0 |
1955 | 250 | 43.2 | 52.0 | 4.8 |
1960 | 290 | 47.6 | 48.3 | 4.1 |
1965 | 332 | 48.2 | 47.8 | 4.0 |
1970 | 372 | 48.3 | 47.8 | 3.9 |
1975 | 364 | 47.6 | 48.5 | 3.9 |
1980 | 366 | 39.9 | 55.7 | 4.4 |
1985 | 376 | 35.8 | 59.8 | 4.5 |
1990 | 407 | 33.3 | 62.0 | 4.7 |
1995 | 436 | 32.2 | 62.6 | 5.2 |
2000 | 467 | 30.6 | 63.7 | 5.7 |
2005 | 500 | 29.8 | 64.1 | 6.1 |
2010 | 525 | 28.6 | 65.0 | 6.5 |
Age group | 2004 | 2012 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
0-14 | 146.389 | 29,81 | 148.767 | 27.47 |
15-59 | 299.547 | 60.78 | 334.949 | 61.84 |
60+ | 42.189 | 8.56 | 54.527 | 10.07 |
Total | 492.829 | 100 | 541.638 | 100 |
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 248 046 | 244 783 | 492 829 | 100 |
0-4 | 26 252 | 25 585 | 51 837 | 10.52 |
5-9 | 25 200 | 24 209 | 49 409 | 10.03 |
10-14 | 22 889 | 22 254 | 45 143 | 9.16 |
15-19 | 23 465 | 23 043 | 46 508 | 9.44 |
20-24 | 22 437 | 21 406 | 43 843 | 8.90 |
25-29 | 19 006 | 18 895 | 37 901 | 7.69 |
30-34 | 19 828 | 19 166 | 38 994 | 7.91 |
35-39 | 19 179 | 18 100 | 37 279 | 7.56 |
40-44 | 17 657 | 16 328 | 33 985 | 6.90 |
45-49 | 12 643 | 12 992 | 25 635 | 5.20 |
50-54 | 9 933 | 10 487 | 20 420 | 4.14 |
55-59 | 6 955 | 8 027 | 14 982 | 3.04 |
60-64 | 6 200 | 7 059 | 13 259 | 2.69 |
65-69 | 5 148 | 5 454 | 10 602 | 2.15 |
70-74 | 4 103 | 4 556 | 8 659 | 1.76 |
75-79 | 2 419 | 2 733 | 5 152 | 1.05 |
80-84 | 1 235 | 1 618 | 2 853 | 0.58 |
85-89 | 392 | 677 | 1 075 | 0.22 |
90-94 | 196 | 294 | 490 | 0.10 |
95+ | 34 | 95 | 129 | 0.03 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0-14 | 74 341 | 72 048 | 146 389 | 29.70 |
15-64 | 157 293 | 155 489 | 312 782 | 63.47 |
65+ | 13 527 | 15 427 | 28 954 | 5.88 |
unknown | 2 885 | 1 819 | 4 704 | 0.95 |
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 272 690 | 267 220 | 539 910 | 100 |
0-4 | 24 910 | 24 150 | 49 060 | 9.09 |
5-9 | 26 400 | 25 160 | 51 560 | 9.55 |
10-14 | 25 950 | 24 850 | 50 800 | 9.41 |
15-19 | 24 510 | 23 670 | 48 180 | 8.92 |
20-24 | 23 270 | 22 500 | 45 770 | 8.48 |
25-29 | 22 310 | 21 360 | 43 670 | 8.09 |
30-34 | 21 180 | 20 150 | 41 330 | 7.65 |
35-39 | 20 130 | 19 110 | 39 240 | 7.27 |
40-44 | 18 570 | 17 720 | 36 290 | 6.72 |
45-49 | 16 370 | 15 830 | 32 200 | 5.96 |
50-54 | 13 940 | 13 730 | 27 670 | 5.12 |
55-59 | 10 970 | 11 200 | 22 170 | 4.11 |
60-64 | 8 340 | 8 890 | 17 230 | 3.19 |
65-69 | 6 200 | 6 870 | 13 070 | 2.42 |
70-74 | 4 360 | 5 060 | 9 420 | 1.74 |
75-79 | 2 860 | 3 500 | 6 360 | 1.18 |
80+ | 2 420 | 3 470 | 5 890 | 1.09 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0-14 | 77 260 | 72 048 | 149 308 | 27.65 |
15-64 | 179 590 | 176 272 | 355 862 | 65.91 |
65+ | 15 840 | 18 900 | 34 740 | 6.43 |
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 270 629 | 271 009 | 541 638 | 100 |
0–4 | 25 968 | 24 580 | 50 548 | 9.33 |
5–9 | 24 549 | 23 186 | 47 735 | 8.81 |
10–14 | 26 166 | 24 318 | 50 484 | 9.32 |
15–19 | 22 772 | 22 336 | 45 108 | 8.33 |
20–24 | 21 656 | 22 106 | 43 762 | 8.08 |
25–29 | 21 761 | 22 185 | 43 946 | 8.11 |
30–34 | 19 355 | 19 696 | 39 051 | 7.21 |
35–39 | 18 316 | 18 113 | 36 429 | 6.73 |
40–44 | 18 763 | 18 620 | 37 383 | 6.90 |
45–49 | 18 083 | 17 948 | 36 031 | 6.65 |
50–54 | 15 313 | 15 338 | 30 651 | 5.66 |
55–59 | 10 929 | 11 659 | 22 588 | 4.17 |
60–64 | 7 734 | 8 763 | 16 497 | 3.05 |
65-69 | 5 951 | 7 057 | 13 008 | 2.40 |
70-74 | 4 619 | 5 514 | 10 133 | 1.87 |
75-79 | 3 393 | 4 163 | 7 556 | 1.40 |
80-84 | 1 934 | 2 499 | 4 433 | 0.82 |
85-89 | 743 | 1 235 | 1 978 | 0.37 |
90-94 | 274 | 438 | 712 | 0.13 |
95+ | 64 | 146 | 210 | 0.04 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 76 683 | 72 084 | 148 767 | 27.47 |
15–64 | 176 968 | 177 873 | 354 841 | 65.51 |
65+ | 16 978 | 21 052 | 38 030 | 7.02 |
unknown | 2 286 | 1 109 | 3 395 | 0.63 |
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 300 500 | 302 000 | 602 500 | 100 |
0–4 | 27 500 | 26 700 | 54 200 | 9.00 |
5–9 | 26 500 | 25 300 | 51 800 | 8.60 |
10–14 | 25 500 | 23 900 | 49 400 | 8.20 |
15–19 | 25 000 | 23 500 | 48 500 | 8.05 |
20–24 | 24 100 | 23 300 | 47 400 | 7.87 |
25–29 | 23 300 | 22 800 | 46 100 | 7.65 |
30–34 | 22 200 | 22 200 | 44 400 | 7.37 |
35–39 | 21 100 | 21 200 | 42 300 | 7.02 |
40–44 | 19 900 | 20 000 | 39 900 | 6.62 |
45–49 | 18 800 | 18 900 | 37 700 | 6.26 |
50–54 | 17 400 | 17 600 | 35 000 | 5.81 |
55–59 | 14 800 | 15 500 | 30 300 | 5.03 |
60–64 | 12 100 | 13 200 | 25 300 | 4.20 |
65-69 | 8 800 | 10 300 | 19 100 | 3.17 |
70-74 | 6 000 | 7 500 | 13 500 | 2.24 |
75-79 | 3 900 | 5 100 | 9 000 | 1.49 |
80+ | 3 600 | 5 000 | 8 600 | 1.43 |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
0–14 | 79 500 | 75 900 | 155 400 | 25.79 |
15–64 | 198 700 | 198 200 | 396 900 | 65.88 |
65+ | 22 300 | 27 900 | 50 200 | 8.33 |
The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates for Suriname. [4]
Period | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* | Life expectancy total | Life expectancy males | Life expectancy females |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950-1955 | 10 000 | 3 000 | 7 000 | 48.0 | 14.9 | 33.1 | 6.56 | 89 | 56.0 | 54.4 | 57.7 |
1955-1960 | 12 000 | 3 000 | 9 000 | 46.0 | 12.4 | 33.6 | 6.56 | 76 | 58.7 | 57.0 | 60.5 |
1960-1965 | 14 000 | 3 000 | 11 000 | 44.8 | 10.6 | 34.2 | 6.56 | 64 | 60.5 | 58.7 | 62.5 |
1965-1970 | 14 000 | 3 000 | 11 000 | 39.7 | 9.0 | 30.6 | 5.95 | 55 | 62.4 | 60.5 | 64.5 |
1970-1975 | 13 000 | 3 000 | 10 000 | 34.9 | 8.3 | 26.6 | 5.29 | 49 | 64.0 | 61.7 | 66.5 |
1975-1980 | 11 000 | 3 000 | 8 000 | 30.2 | 7.4 | 22.8 | 4.20 | 44 | 65.1 | 62.8 | 67.7 |
1980-1985 | 11 000 | 3 000 | 8 000 | 30.0 | 7.3 | 22.7 | 3.70 | 42 | 66.5 | 63.6 | 69.8 |
1985-1990 | 10 000 | 3 000 | 7 000 | 25.4 | 7.2 | 18.2 | 3.00 | 39 | 67.1 | 64.0 | 70.7 |
1990-1995 | 9 000 | 3 000 | 6 000 | 22.5 | 7.1 | 15.4 | 2.60 | 34 | 67.6 | 64.4 | 71.1 |
1995-2000 | 11 000 | 3 000 | 8 000 | 23.6 | 7.4 | 16.2 | 2.80 | 29 | 67.8 | 64.6 | 71.4 |
2000-2005 | 10 000 | 4 000 | 6 000 | 21.0 | 7.6 | 13.4 | 2.60 | 24 | 68.1 | 64.8 | 71.7 |
2005-2010 | 10 000 | 4 000 | 6 000 | 19.1 | 7.3 | 11.9 | 2.42 | 22 | 69.6 | 66.4 | 73.1 |
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman) |
Year | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Rate of natural increase | TFR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1948 | 6,476 | 2,217 | 4,259 | |||||
1949 | 6,473 | 2,243 | 4,230 | |||||
1950 | 6,863 | 1,974 | 4,889 | |||||
1951 | 7,710 | 1,965 | 5,745 | |||||
1952 | 8,453 | 1,917 | 6,536 | |||||
1953 | 8,878 | 2,159 | 6,719 | |||||
1954 | 9,154 | 1,919 | 7,235 | |||||
1955 | 9,458 | 1,989 | 7,469 | |||||
1956 | 10,177 | 2,131 | 8,040 | |||||
1957 | 10,001 | 2,274 | 7,727 | |||||
1958 | 11,151 | 1,942 | 9,209 | |||||
1959 | 11,757 | 2,055 | 9,702 | |||||
1960 | 11,702 | 2,144 | 9,558 | |||||
1961 | 12,835 | 2,310 | 10,525 | |||||
1962 | 13,141 | 2,412 | 10,729 | |||||
1963 | 2,406 | |||||||
1964 | 2,292 | |||||||
1965 | 13,253 | 2,378 | 10,875 | |||||
1966 | 12,925 | 2,280 | 10,645 | |||||
1967 | ||||||||
1968 | ||||||||
1969 | ||||||||
1970 | ||||||||
1971 | 2,540 | |||||||
1972 | 12,557 | |||||||
1973 | 11,881 | |||||||
1974 | 11,809 | |||||||
1975 | 10,031 | |||||||
1976 | 11,176 | |||||||
1977 | 11,099 | |||||||
1978 | 10,673 | |||||||
1979 | 10,586 | |||||||
1980 | 355,240 | 9,848 | ||||||
1981 | 360,021 | 10,094 | ||||||
1982 | 364,854 | 11,205 | 2,377 | 8,828 | ||||
1983 | 369,752 | 11,823 | ||||||
1984 | 374,716 | 11,501 | ||||||
1985 | 379,746 | 11,704 | 2,275 | 9,429 | ||||
1986 | 384,844 | 10,176 | ||||||
1987 | 390,011 | 9,660 | ||||||
1988 | 395,246 | 9,094 | ||||||
1989 | 400,552 | 10,217 | 2,717 | 7,500 | ||||
1990 | 405,930 | 9,545 | 2,792 | 6,753 | ||||
1991 | 411,397 | 9,104 | 2,573 | 6,531 | ||||
1992 | 416,902 | 9,835 | 2,717 | 7,118 | ||||
1993 | 422,498 | 9,398 | 2,998 | 6,400 | ||||
1994 | 428,170 | 8,418 | 2,842 | 5,576 | ||||
1995 | 433,918 | 8,717 | 2,696 | 6,021 | ||||
1996 | 439,743 | 9,393 | 2,894 | 6,499 | 22.7 | 7.0 | 15.7 | |
1997 | 445,647 | 10,794 | 2,878 | 7,916 | 25.8 | 6.9 | 18.9 | |
1998 | 451,629 | 10,221 | 2,814 | 7,407 | 24.1 | 6.6 | 17.5 | |
1999 | 457,692 | 10,144 | 2,992 | 7,152 | 23.6 | 7.0 | 16.6 | |
2000 | 463,837 | 9,804 | 3,090 | 6,714 | 22.5 | 7.1 | 15.4 | |
2001 | 470,064 | 9,717 | 3,099 | 6,618 | 20.7 | 6.6 | 14.1 | |
2002 | 476,374 | 10,188 | 3,125 | 7,063 | 21.4 | 6.6 | 14.8 | |
2003 | 481,146 | 9,634 | 3,154 | 6,480 | 20.0 | 6.6 | 13.4 | |
2004 | 492,829 | 9,062 | 3,319 | 5,743 | 18.6 | 6.8 | 11.8 | |
2005 | 498,543 | 8,657 | 3,392 | 5,265 | 17.4 | 6.8 | 10.6 | 2.14 |
2006 | 504,257 | 9,311 | 3,197 | 6,114 | 18.5 | 6.4 | 12.1 | 2.28 |
2007 | 509,970 | 9,769 | 3,374 | 6,395 | 19.2 | 6.6 | 12.6 | 2.38 |
2008 | 517,052 | 10,097 | 3,357 | 6,740 | 19.5 | 6.5 | 13.0 | 2.44 |
2009 | 524,143 | 9,792 | 3,293 | 6,499 | 18.7 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 2.34 |
2010 | 531,170 | 9,712 | 3,484 | 6,228 | 18.3 | 6.6 | 11.7 | 2.30 |
2011 | 539,910 | 9,703 | 3,441 | 6,262 | 18.0 | 6.4 | 11.6 | 2.445 |
2012 | 541,638 | 10,217 | 3,687 | 6,530 | 18.9 | 6.8 | 12.1 | 2.406 |
2013 | 550,222 | 10,012 | 3,557 | 6,455 | 18.2 | 6.5 | 11.7 | 2.323 |
2014 | 558,773 | 10,407 | 3,738 | 6,669 | 18.6 | 6.7 | 11.9 | 2.370 |
2015 | 567,300 | 10,148 | 3,663 | 6,485 | 17.9 | 6.5 | 11.4 | 2.30 |
2016 | 575,700 | 9,910 | 3,591 | 6,319 | 17.2 | 6.2 | 11.0 | 2.23 |
2017 | 583,200 | 9,758 | 3,508 | 6,250 | 16.8 | 6.0 | 10.8 | 2.12 |
2018 | 590,100 | 9,809 | 3,763 | 6,046 | 16.6 | 6.4 | 10.2 | 2.17 |
2019 | 598,000 | 10,127 | 3,955 | 6,172 | 16.9 | 6.6 | 10.3 | 2.23 |
2020 | 608,900 | 10,053 | 3,971 | 6,082 | 16.7 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 2.21 |
2021 | 616,500 | 10,252 | 5,535 | 4,717 | 16.6 | 9.0 | 7.6 | 2.18 |
Ethnic group | Census 1921 | Census 1950 [11] | Census 1964 [11] | Census 1972 [11] | Census 1980 [12] | Census 2004 [13] | Census 2012 [14] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
East Indian | 62,280 | 31.3 | 112,633 | 34.7 | 142,917 | 37.6 | 135,117 | 27.4 | 148,443 | 27.4 | ||||
Maroons | 19,180 | 9.7 | 27,698 | 8.5 | 35,838 | 9.4 | 72,553 | 14.7 | 117,567 | 21.7 | ||||
Creole | 71,657 | 36.1 | 114,961 | 35.5 | 119,009 | 31.4 | 87,202 | 17.7 | 84,933 | 15.7 | ||||
Javanese | 35,270 | 17.8 | 48,463 | 14.9 | 57,688 | 15.2 | 71,879 | 14.6 | 73,975 | 13.7 | ||||
Mixed | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 61,524 | 12.5 | 72,340 | 13.4 | ||||
Amerindian [15] | - | - | 7,287 [16] | 2.2 | - | - | 18,037 | 3.7 | 20,344 | 3.8 | ||||
Chinese [15] | - | - | 5,339 [16] | 1.6 | - | - | 8,775 | 1.8 | 7,885 | 1.5 | ||||
White [15] | - | - | 4,322 [16] | 1.3 | - | - | 2,899 | 0.6 | 1,667 | 0.3 | ||||
Other | 10,095 | 5.1 | 2,986 | 0.9 | 24,155 | 6.4 | 2,264 | 0.5 | 7,166 | 1.3 | ||||
Unknown | 186 | 0.1 | 522 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,261 | 0.3 | 1,805 | 0.3 | ||||
No answer | 31,318 | 6.4 | 1,590 | 0.3 | ||||||||||
Total | 107,723[ citation needed ] | 198,668 | 324,211 | 379,607 | 355,240 | 492,829 | 541,638 |
The current population of Suriname will be different to these census figures, as the census records residents, and notes legal visitors, but does not record illegal immigrants. According to estimates there may be as many as:
The total fertility rate for Suriname as a whole was 2.53 children per woman aged 15 to 49 in 2012. Maroons had the highest fertility rate, with 4.47 children per woman. On the other hand, Surinamese from India had the lowest fertility with 1.78 children per woman.
Total fertility rate by ethnic group in 2012 [20] | ||
Ethnic group | Total fertility rate | Children ever born |
---|---|---|
Maroons | 4.47 | 5.79 |
Creole | 2.26 | 3.06 |
East-Indian | 1.78 | 3.15 |
Javanese | 2.15 | 3.17 |
Mixed people | 2.12 | 2.77 |
Smaller minorities | 2.93 | 3.46 |
Unknown (mostly Maroons as well) | 3.69 | 4.91 |
Suriname (as whole) | 2.53 | 3.48 |
Dutch is the official language of Suriname and the mother tongue of around 60% of the population. Sranan Tongo is the lingua franca and second most spoken language of Suriname.
English is mostly used in the business sector mainly to communicate with foreign businesses. It is also used in the hospitality industry to communicate with tourists.
Sarnami Hindustani is spoken by the Surinamese Indian community. Depending on the person this language can be either the mother tongue, second language or third language (after Dutch or Sranan Tongo).
Saramaccan is spoken by the Saramaka tribe of the Maroon community. Aukan is mainly spoken by the Aukan tribe of the Maroon community
Javanese is spoken by the Surinamese Javanese community. Just like Sarnami Hindustani, Javanese can be either the mother tongue, second language or third language (after Dutch or Sranan Tongo) for some.
Hakka and Cantonese is spoken by Surinamese Chinese, mainly as a second language after Dutch. Cantonese was introduced in Suriname by the second wave of Chinese immigrants in 1970. Beginning in the 1990s new migrants from China moved to Suriname, and Putonghua, during circa 2004–2014, became the main Chinese lingua franca in the country.
French is spoken by some Maroons due to the cultural influence from French Guiana, Portuguese mainly by immigrants from Brazil and Portugal, and Spanish due to immigrants from, Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries.
Amerindian languages are spoken by the Surinamese Amerindian community. Languages include Carib, Arawak, Tiriyó and Wayana.
Denomination | 2012 census [21] | |
---|---|---|
Number | % | |
Catholic Church | 117,261 | 21.6 |
Pentecostalism (Full Gospel) | 60,530 | 11.18 |
Moravian Church | 60,420 | 11.16 |
Jehovah's Witnesses | 6,622 | 1.2 |
Calvinism | 4,018 | 0.7 |
Lutheranism | 2,811 | 0.5 |
Other forms of Christianity | 17,280 | 3.2 |
Sanatani Hindus | 97,311 | 18 |
Arya Samaj Hindus | 16,661 | 3.1 |
Other forms of Hinduism | 6,651 | 1.2 |
Sunni Islam | 21,159 | 3.9 |
Ahmadi Islam | 14,161 | 2.6 |
Other forms of Islam | 39,733 | 7.3 |
Javanism | 4,460 | 0.8 |
Judaism | 181 | 0.0 |
Winti | 9,949 | 1.8 |
Other faith | 4,630 | 0.9 |
No faith | 40,718 | 7.5 |
No answer | 17,082 | 3.2 |
Total population | 541,638 | 100.0 |
The Demographics of French Guiana are characterized by a young population with 44% below the age of 20 as of 2017. The total population stood at 268,700 as of January 1, 2017. The demographic profile is a reflection of the territory's high fertility rates. Regarding nationality, as of 2010, 64.5% of the population had French nationality, while 35.5% were of foreign nationality with significant communities from Suriname, Haiti, and Brazil among others.
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. Situated slightly north of the equator within the tropics, over 90% of its territory is covered by rainforests, the highest proportion of forest cover in the world. Suriname is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. It is the smallest country in South America by both population and territory, with around 612,985 inhabitants in an area of approximately 163,820 square kilometers. The capital and largest city is Paramaribo, home to roughly half the population.
This is a demography of Guyana including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Sranan Tongo is an English-based creole language that is spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 519,600 people in Suriname.
Saramaccan is a creole language spoken by about 58,000 people of West African descent near the Saramacca and the upper Suriname River, as well as in Paramaribo, capital of Suriname. The language also has 25,000 speakers in French Guiana and 8,000 in the Netherlands. It has three main dialects. The speakers are mostly descendants of fugitive slaves who were native to West and Central Africa; they form a group called Saamacca, also spelled Saramaka.
The Paramaccan or Paramaka are a Maroon tribe living in the forested interior of Suriname, mainly in the Paramacca resort, and the western border area of French Guiana. The Paramaccan signed a peace treaty in 1872 granting the tribe autonomy.
Caribbean Hindustani is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by Indo-Caribbeans and the Indo-Caribbean diaspora. It is a koiné language mainly based on the Bhojpuri and Awadhi dialects. These Hindustani dialects were the most spoken dialects by the Indians who came as immigrants to the Caribbean from India as indentured laborers. It is closely related to Fiji Hindi and the Bhojpuri-Hindustani spoken in Mauritius and South Africa.
Indo-Surinamese, Indian-Surinamese or Hindustani Surinamese are nationals of Suriname with ancestry from India and the wider subcontinent. Their ancestors were Indian indentured workers brought by the Dutch and the British to the (then) Dutch colony of Suriname during the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Per the 2012 Census of Suriname, 148,443 citizens of Suriname are of Indo-Surinamese origin, constituting 27.4% of the total population, making them the largest ethnic group in Suriname on an individual level.
Surinamese Dutch is the form of Dutch spoken in Suriname and is the official language in Suriname, a former Dutch colony. Dutch is spoken as a native language by about 80% of the population, most of them being bilingual with Sranan Tongo, Hindustani, Javanese, and other languages. Nevertheless, Dutch is the sole official language of the country. Surinamese Dutch is easily intelligible with other forms of Dutch. Furthermore, as opposed to other languages that have different forms in the Americas the regulation and thus standardised spelling of the Dutch language is done through a joint Dutch–Belgian–Surinamese organization, the Dutch Language Union, and thus has no regional differences regarding spelling. Suriname has been an associate member of this Nederlandse Taalunie since 2004. Therefore, many typical Surinamese words were added to the official Wordlist of Standard Dutch, known as "the Green Booklet".
According to the official data, the Muslim population of Suriname represents about 13.9 percent of the country's total population as of 2012, which is the highest percentage of Muslims in the Americas. Though the majority belong to the Sunni sect of Islam, there are some Shi'a, and a small population of Ahmadiyyas.
The languages of South America can be divided into three broad groups:
Religion in Suriname is characterized by a range of religious beliefs and practices due to its ethnic diversity. The government is vocally supportive of religious diversity and tolerance, and these attitudes are present in general society as well. According to the most recent census (2012), 48.4 percent of the population is Christian 22.3 percent is Hindu, 13.9 percent is Muslim, 1.8 percent follows Winti, and 0.8 percent is Kejawen. In addition 2.1 percent of the population follows other faiths, 7.5 percent are atheist or agnostic, and 3.2 percent did not answer the question about their religion. Later estimates suggest that Christians made up just over half the population in 2020.
Surinamese people are people who identify with the country of Suriname. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Surinamese, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Surinamese.
Chinese Surinamese people are Surinamese residents of ethnic Han Chinese origin. The earliest migrants came in the 19th century as indentured laborers; there was another wave of migration in the 1950s and 1960s. There were 7,885 Chinese in Suriname at the 2012 census, constituting 1.5% of the total population. They constitute the largest component of the 'other' ethnic category, which makes up 2.3% of the population as per the CIA World Factbook. The majority of the Chinese Surinamese consider Hakka of Guangdong as their ancestral homes. There is a small minority of Heshan, Jiangmen origin Cantonese and Hakkas as well.
Asian Surinamese people or Surinamese people of Asian descent, are Surinamese people whose ancestry lies within the continent of Asia.
India–Suriname relations are the international relations that exist between India and Suriname. Indo-Surinamese form the largest ethnic group in Suriname, making 27.4% of the population. The current President of Suriname Chan Santokhi is of Indo-Surinamese descent.
The Matawai are a tribe of Surinamese Maroons. The Matawai were originally part of the Saramaka, and signed a peace agreement with the Dutch colonists in 1762. The tribe split from the Saramaka, and in 1769, they were recognized as a separate tribe.
Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Suriname. According to ARDA, there are 129,440 Hindus in Suriname as of 2015, constituting 23.15% of the population. Suriname has the second largest percentage of Hindus in the Western Hemisphere, after Guyana (24.8%).
Christiaan Hendrik "Hein" Eersel was a Surinamese linguist and cultural researcher.
Surinamese language may refer to:
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Except for the 1980 census, all censuses since the first in 1921 included ethnicity as a variable of interest. For unknown reasons, the government did not allow the Census Bureau to include this variable.