STATISTICS: SURINAME

Suriname Official name: Republiek Suriname (Republic of Suriname). Form of government: multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ). Head of state and government: President. Capital: Paramaribo. Official language: Dutch. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Suriname guilder (Sf) = 100 cents; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = Sf 401.00; 1 = Sf 682.70. Demography Population (1998): 418,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 6.6, persons per sq km 2.6. Urban-rural (1996): urban 51.0%; rural 49.0%. Sex distribution (1996): male 49.54%; female 50.46%. Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 35.2%; 15-29, 29.7%; 30-44, 19.0%; 45-59, 8.8%; 60-74, 5.9%; 75 and over, 1.4%. Population projection: (2000) 425,000; (2010) 443,000. Doubling time: 47 years. Ethnic composition (1991): Suriname Creole 35.0%; Indo-Pakistani 33.0%; Javanese 16.0%; Bush Negro 10.0%; Amerindian 3.0%; other 3.0%. Religious affiliation (1995): Hindu 27.4%; Roman Catholic 21.0%; Muslim 19.6%; Protestant (mostly Moravian) 16.4%; other 15.6%. Major cities (1980): Paramaribo 200,970{1}; Nieuw Nickerie 6,078; Meerzorg 5,355; Marienburg 3,633. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1995): 21.5 (world avg. 25.0); legitimate n.a.; illegitimate n.a. Death rate per 1,000 population (1995): 6.6 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995): 14.9 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1997): 2.6. Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1991): 4.9. Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1991): 2.5. Life expectancy at birth (1990-95): male 67.8 years; female 72.8 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1992): noncommunicable diseases 769.0; external and other causes 608.1; communicable and perinatal diseases 232.8; ill-defined diseases 279.0. National economy Budget (1995). Revenue: Sf 94,096,600,000 (grants 29.2%; corporate income taxes 26.6%; custom duties 13.4%; individual income taxes 9.4%; value-added taxes 6.8%). Expenditures: Sf 88,973,500,000 (current expenditures 87.2%, of which welfare and social services 3.6%, defense 2.7%, education 2.1%, debt service 2.0%, health 1.9%; capital expenditures 12.8%). Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1997): rice 218,000, sugarcane 84,500, bananas 41,000, plantains 19,000, oranges 14,200, coconuts 11,000, watermelons 6,000, cassava 6,000, cucumbers 5,500, tomatoes 1,700, cabbage 1,400, grapefruit 900; livestock (number of live animals) 104,000 cattle, 20,000 pigs; roundwood (1996) 122,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 13,000. Mining and quarrying (1996): bauxite 3,708,000; gold 9,645 troy oz{1}. Manufacturing (value of production at factor cost in Sf; 1993): food products 992,000,000; beverages 558,000,000; tobacco 369,000,000; chemical products 291,000,000; pottery and earthenware 258,000,000; wood products 180,000,000. Construction (value of building authorized; 1985): residential Sf 46,500,000; nonresidential Sf 8,100,000. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 1,683,000,000 (1,683,000,000); hard coal (metric tons) none (n.a.); crude petroleum (barrels; 1994) 1,686,000 (1,370,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1992) none (461,000); natural gas, none (none). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1980) 3.9; income per household: n.a.; sources of income (1975): wages and salaries 74.6%, transfer payments 3.2%, other 22.2%; expenditure (1968-69): food and beverages 40.0%, household furnishings 12.3%, clothing and footwear 11.0%, transportation and communications 9.5%, recreation and education 8.4%, energy 6.9%, housing 4.4%, other 7.5%. Land use (1994): forested 96.2%; meadows and pastures 0.1%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 0.4%; other 3.3%. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$433,000,000 (U.S.$1,000 per capita). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$216,500,000. Population economically active (1994): total 98,240; activity rate of total population 24.3% (participation rates{2}{3}: ages 15-64, 56.0%; female 37.5%; unemployed 11.3%). Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$14,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$3,000,000{4}. Foreign trade Imports (1994): U.S.$350,200,000 (fuels and lubricants 18.2%, machinery and transport equipment 13.3%, food and live animals 7.3%, home appliances 4.2%). Major import sources: United States 39.8%; The Netherlands 24.1%; Trinidad and Tobago 11.2%; Japan 3.3%; Brazil 3.0%. Exports (1994): U.S.$339,800,000 (alumina 63.6%, shrimp and fish 9.7%, rice 9.6%, aluminum 9.3%, petroleum 3.0%, bananas 2.9%). Major export destinations: Norway 32.6%; The Netherlands 26.9%; United States 13.1%; Japan 6.6%; Brazil 6.3%; France 2.9%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1991): length 187 mi, 301 km; passengers, not applicable; cargo, n.a. Roads (1995): total length 2,778 mi, 4,470 km (paved 26%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 44,300; trucks and buses 17,050. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 24; total deadweight tonnage 15,721. Air transport (1995){5}: passenger-mi 548,885,000, passenger-km 883,347,000; short ton-mi cargo 17,684,000, metric ton-km cargo 25,818,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 3. Education and health Educational attainment: n.a. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 271,000 (93.0%); males literate 137,000 (95.1%); females literate 134,000 (91.0%). Health: physicians (1990) 331 (1 per 1,222 persons); hospital beds (1989) 1,901 (1 per 212 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1994) 27.9. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,556 (vegetable products 87%, animal products 13%); 113% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 1,800{6} (army 77.8%, navy 13.3%, air force 8.9%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 3.0% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$90. {1} 1993. {2} Districts of Wanica and Paramaribo only. {3} 1992. {4} 1994. {5} SLM (Suriname Airways) only. {6} All services are part of the army.