Population 436,494 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.1% (male 69,642; female 66,262)
15-64 years: 63.1% (male 140,745; female 134,494)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 11,480; female 13,871) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 0.55% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 19.97 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 5.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate -8.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 23.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 71.9 years
female: 74.7 years (2002 est.)
male: 69.23 years

Total fertility rate 2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 1.26% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 3,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 210 (1999 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.)

NOTE: The information regarding Suriname on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Suriname People 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Suriname People 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.