Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 23.5% less likely to be obese

In Suriname, 26.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Guyana, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2016.

be 18.2% more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Suriname, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Guyana, that number is 1.3% of people as of 2020.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Suriname has a GDP per capita of $19,000 as of 2023, while in Guyana, the GDP per capita is $49,800 as of 2023.

be 50.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Guyana, however, that number is 35.0% as of 2006.

be 61.4% more likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 7.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Guyana, that number is 12.4% as of 2023.

Life

be 26.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Suriname, approximately 30.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Guyana, on the other hand, 22.1 children do as of 2022.

have 12.1% more children

In Suriname, there are approximately 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Guyana, there are 16.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 16.7% more likely to die during childbirth

In Suriname, approximately 96.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Guyana, 112.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 28.8% more likely to have internet access

In Suriname, approximately 66.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Guyana, about 85.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 10.0% less on education

Suriname spends 5.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Guyana spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 19.1% less on healthcare

Suriname spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Guyana, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 18.9% more coastline

Suriname has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Guyana, that number is 459 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Guyana: At a glance

Guyana is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 196,849 sq km. Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to settlement of urban areas by former slaves and the importation of indentured servants from India to work the sugar plantations. The resulting ethnocultural divide has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was elected president in what is considered the country's first free and fair election since independence. After his death five years later, his wife, Janet JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001 and again in 2006. Donald RAMOTAR was elected president in 2011.
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How big is Guyana compared to Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

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