Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of Suriname, you would:

Health

live 7.8 years longer

In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 2.5 times more money

Suriname has a GDP per capita of $15,000 as of 2022, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $37,000 as of 2016.

be 58.7% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Virgin Islands, however, that number is 28.9% as of 2002.

be 56.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 8.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Virgin Islands, that number is 12.9% as of 2022.

Life

be 74.7% 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 Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

have 25.5% fewer children

In Suriname, there are approximately 14.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Geography

see 51.3% less coastline

Suriname has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Virgin Islands, that number is 188 km.

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

Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

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