Suriname's People | Suriname People

Population: 438,144 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.6% (male 66,537/female 63,182) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 144,285/female 136,942) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 12,092/female 15,106) (2005 est.)

Median age: Total: 26.13 years male: 25.72 years female: 26.58 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.25% (2005 est.)

Death rate: 7.16 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: Total: 23.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 27.57 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: Total population: 68.96 years male: 66.75 years female: 71.27 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,200 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: Less 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), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88% male: 92.3% female: 84.1% (2000 est.)

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