Demographics of Suriname
This article is about the demographic features 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.
Population
![](../I/m/Suriname_demography.png)
According to the 2010 revision of the World Population Prospects the total population was 525,000 in 2010, 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 .[1] According to 2012 census, there were 270,629 males and 271,009 females in Suriname.[2]
Total population (x 1000) |
Proportion aged 0–14 (%) |
Proportion aged 15–64 (%) |
Proportion aged 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 |
Total and Percent Distribution of Population by Age (Censuses 2004 & 2012)
Age group | Population(2004) | Percent(2004) | Population(2012) | Percent(2012) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 492.829 | 100 | 541.638 | 100 |
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 |
Structure of the population [4]
Structure of the population (02.08.2004) (Census) :
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 |
unknown | 2 885 | 1 819 | 4 704 | 0,95 |
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 |
Structure of the population (01.07.2011) (Estimates) :
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 |
Vital statistics
The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates for Suriname. [1]
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) |
Births and deaths [4][5]
Year | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Rate of natural increase | TFR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | 2.27 |
2012 | 541 638 | 10 217 | 3 687 | 6 530 | 18.9 | 6.8 | 12.1 | 2.41 |
2013 | 550 222 | 10 012 | 3 557 | 6 455 | 18.2 | 6.5 | 11.7 | 2.3 |
2014 | 558 773 | 10 407 | 3 738 | 6 669 | 18.6 | 6.7 | 11.9 | |
Ethnic groups
Ethnic group |
Census 1921 | Census 1950[6] | Census 1964[6] | Census 1972[6] | Census 1980[7] | Census 2004[8] | Census 2012[9] | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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[10] | - | - | 7,287[11] | 2.2 | - | - | 18,037 | 3.7 | 20,344 | 3.8 | ||||
Chinese[10] | - | - | 5,339[11] | 1.6 | - | - | 8,775 | 1.8 | 7,885 | 1.5 | ||||
White[10] | - | - | 4,322[11] | 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[12] | 198,668 | 324,211 | 379,607 | 355,240 | 492,829 | 541,638 |
- The census used self-identification for ethnic classification.[14]
- Amerindians are the original inhabitants of Suriname.
- East Indians, also known locally as Hindustanis, are those whose ancestors emigrated from northern British India in the latter part of the 19th century.
- Creoles are descendants from slaves from Africa. Prior to the 2004 census, mixed-race people were counted as Creoles. Their ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- The Maroon are descendants from slaves from Africa that escaped to the interior of Suriname. Their proportion has increased considerably during the past decades, from 9% in 1964 to 22% in 2012. Part of this increase is probably caused by interchanging identities of Creole and Maroon, causing a decrease in the proportion of Creole and an increase in the proportion Maroon.
- The Javanese are Asians from formerly Dutch-ruled Indonesia.
- Whites are principally descended from Dutch colonists.
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:
- 60,000 Brazilian (estimates varies between 20,000 and 80,000) from Brazil. There are also other smaller numbers of South American nationalities.
- 40,000 Chinese,[15] with quite small communities of Koreans, Japanese and Filipinos.
- 2,000 Arab/Middle-eastern (mostly Lebanese but also Syrian and Palestinians).
- 200 Jews who are identified in ethnoreligious terms.
Languages
Dutch (official), Sranan Tongo (Surinamese Creole, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population), Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu), Javanese, English (widely spoken), French due to cultural influence from French Guiana, Portuguese and Spanish. Chinese languages are spoken as well.
Religion
References
- 1 2 Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision
- ↑ "Censusstatistieken 2012". Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname (General Statistics Bureau of Suriname). Presentatie Definitieve Resultaten Census 8 Vol. 1, page 26.
- ↑ http://www.statistics-suriname.org/index.php/statistieken/downloads/category/30-censusstatistieken-2012#
- 1 2 http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm
- ↑ http://caricomstats.org/Files/Databases/Demography/SR.pdf
- 1 2 3 "National Census Report: Suriname" (PDF). Caricom. 2009. p. 32.
- ↑ "National Census Report: Suriname" (PDF). Caricom. 2009. p. 31.
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.
- ↑ "National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 Suriname*". UN Human Rights Council. 16 February 2011. p. 7.
- ↑ "Censusstatistieken 2012" (PDF). Algemeen Bureau voor de Statistiek in Suriname (General Statistics Bureau of Suriname). p. 76.
- 1 2 3 Where no separate figures are given, these people are included in Other.
- 1 2 3 This is included in Other in the source
- ↑
- 1 2 "South America :: SURINAME". CIA The World Factbook.
- ↑ "REPORT ON CENSUS 2004 COVERAGE EVALUATION" (PDF). CENSUS OFFICE GENERAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS. 2006. p. 30.
- ↑ "With Aid and Migrants, China Expands Its Presence in a South American Nation". The New York Times. 10 April 2011.