Population:
435,449 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.7% (male 68,536; female 65,165)
15-64 years: 63.3% (male 141,048; female 134,699)
65 years and over: 6% (male 11,686; female 14,315) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.5 years
male: 25.1 years
female: 26 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.37% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
19.4 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
6.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-8.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 28.93 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.23 years
male: 66.79 years
female: 71.78 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,700 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
330 (2001 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%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%
(predominantly Moravian), 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: 93%
male: 95%
female: 91% (1995 est.)