Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Suriname instead of Nicaragua, you would:

Health

be 5.5 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Nicaragua, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2020.

live 2.4 years less

In Nicaragua, the average life expectancy is 75 years (73 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2022. In Suriname, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

be 11.4% more likely to be obese

In Nicaragua, 23.7% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Suriname, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Nicaragua has a GDP per capita of $7,300 as of 2023, while in Suriname, the GDP per capita is $19,000 as of 2023.

be 60.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Nicaragua, 4.8% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Suriname, that number is 7.7% as of 2023.

be 2.8 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In Nicaragua, 24.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Suriname, however, that number is 70.0% as of 2002.

pay a 26.7% higher top tax rate

Nicaragua has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In Suriname, the top tax rate is 38.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 15.0% more likely to be literate

In Nicaragua, the literacy rate is 82.6% as of 2015. In Suriname, it is 95.0% as of 2021.

be 23.1% more likely to die during childbirth

In Nicaragua, approximately 78.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Suriname, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 58.5% more likely to die during infancy

In Nicaragua, approximately 19.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Suriname, on the other hand, 30.2 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 14.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In Nicaragua, approximately 86% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 66% in rural areas) as of 2022. In Suriname, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 97% in rural areas) as of 2022.

be 15.8% more likely to have internet access

In Nicaragua, approximately 57.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Suriname, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

be 19.1% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Nicaragua, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (98% in urban areas, and 63% in rural areas) as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 99% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 98% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 20.9% less on healthcare

Nicaragua spends 8.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 57.6% less coastline

Nicaragua has a total of 910 km of coastline. In Suriname, that number is 386 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: General Directorate of Revenues, The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance.

Suriname: At a glance

Suriname is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 156,000 sq km. First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.
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How big is Suriname compared to Nicaragua? See an in-depth size comparison.

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