What every visitor should know about Suriname:

Money
The currency is the Surinamese dollar (SRD). 1 SRD is worth about US$0.37, or €0.26.
Crime
CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 3 out of 5 (Average)

Areas of concern:

  • Mugging
  • Pick-pocketing / bag-snatching
  • Armed robbery is rare but occurs
  • Carjacking
  • Banditry on rural roads
Capital
Paramaribo
Tap water
Not recommended. Water is usually drinkable in large cities, but quality is uneven.

Suriname facts and figures:

People

Population
481,267
Language
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), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese
Ethnicity
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%

Economy

GDP
US$8,900 (per capita)
Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. More guides: ►Africa ►Americas ►Asia ►Europe ►Middle East ►Pacific