Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 56.0% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Rwanda, 2.5% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 1.1% of people as of 2020.

live 6.6 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 4.6 times more likely to be obese

In Rwanda, 5.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Suriname, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 6.3 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $3,000 as of 2023, while in Suriname, the GDP per capita is $19,000 as of 2023.

be 48.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 14.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Suriname, that number is 7.7% as of 2023.

be 83.2% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Rwanda, 38.2% 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

Rwanda 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 62.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 259.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Suriname, 96.0 women do as of 2020.

be 25.2% more likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 75.9% as of 2021. In Suriname, it is 95.0% as of 2021.

be 14.6% more likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 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.

have 43.6% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In Suriname, there are 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 95.7% more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 38% 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Suriname, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

be 19.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% 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 31.6% more on education

Rwanda spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Suriname spends 5.0% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Rwanda Revenue Authority.

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 Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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