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Suriname vs. Brazil

Demographics

SurinameBrazil
Population614,749 (July 2021 est.)213,445,417 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 23.38% (male 72,642/female 69,899)

15-24 years: 17.2% (male 53,427/female 51,438)

25-54 years: 44.09% (male 136,889/female 131,868)

55-64 years: 8.78% (male 26,435/female 27,066)

65 years and over: 6.55% (male 17,437/female 22,468) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 21.11% (male 22,790,634/female 21,907,018)

15-24 years: 16.06% (male 17,254,363/female 16,750,581)

25-54 years: 43.83% (male 46,070,240/female 46,729,640)

55-64 years: 9.78% (male 9,802,995/female 10,911,140)

65 years and over: 9.21% (male 8,323,344/female 11,176,018) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 31 years

male: 30.6 years

female: 31.4 years (2020 est.)
total: 33.2 years

male: 32.3 years

female: 34.1 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate0.91% (2021 est.)0.65% (2021 est.)
Birth rate14.7 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)13.44 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 26.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 31.72 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 21.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 18.37 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 21.72 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 14.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 73.57 years

male: 71.09 years

female: 76.16 years (2021 est.)
total population: 74.98 years

male: 71.49 years

female: 78.65 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.85 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.73 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate1.1% (2020 est.)0.6% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Surinamer(s)

adjective: Surinamese
noun: Brazilian(s)

adjective: Brazilian
Ethnic groupsHindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th century) 27.4%, Maroon (their African ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior) 21.7%, Creole (mixed White and Black) 15.7%, Javanese 13.7%, mixed 13.4%, other 7.6%, unspecified 0.6% (2012 est.)White 47.7%, Mulatto (mixed White and Black) 43.1%, Black 7.6%, Asian 1.1%, Indigenous 0.4% (2010 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS5,200 (2020 est.)930,000 (2020 est.)
ReligionsProtestant 23.6% (includes Evangelical 11.2%, Moravian 11.2%, Reformed .7%, Lutheran .5%), Hindu 22.3%, Roman Catholic 21.6%, Muslim 13.8%, other Christian 3.2%, Winti 1.8%, Jehovah's Witness 1.2%, other 1.7%, none 7.5%, unspecified 3.2% (2012 est.)Roman Catholic 64.6%, other Catholic 0.4%, Protestant 22.2% (includes Adventist 6.5%, Assembly of God 2.0%, Christian Congregation of Brazil 1.2%, Universal Kingdom of God 1.0%, other Protestant 11.5%), other Christian 0.7%, Spiritist 2.2%, other 1.4%, none 8%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<200 (2020 est.)13,000 (2020 est.)
LanguagesDutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others), Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)
Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language); note - less common languages include Spanish (border areas and schools), German, Italian, Japanese, English, and a large number of minor Amerindian languages

major-language sample(s):
O Livro de Fatos Mundiais, a fonte indispensável para informaçao básica. (Brazilian Portuguese)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 94.4%

male: 96.1%

female: 92.7% (2018)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 93.2%

male: 93%

female: 93.4% (2018)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
degree of risk: very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout Brazil; as of 20 July 2021, Brazil has reported a total of 19,376,574 cases of COVID-19 or 9,115.84  cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 255.09 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 18 July 2021, 44.26% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Education expendituresNA6.3% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 66.2% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.88% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 87.3% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 98.2% of population

rural: 92% of population

total: 96.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.8% of population

rural: 8% of population

total: 3.4% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 91.6% of population

total: 98.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 8.4% of population

total: 1.6% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 98.5% of population

rural: 88.2% of population

total: 95% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.5% of population

rural: 11.8% of population

total: 5% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 92.8% of population

rural: 60.1% of population

total: 88.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 7.2% of population

rural: 39.9% of population

total: 11.7% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population239,000 PARAMARIBO (capital) (2018)22.237 million Sao Paulo, 13.544 million Rio de Janeiro, 6.140 million Belo Horizonte, 4.728 million BRASILIA (capital), 4.175 million Recife, 4.161 million Porto Alegre (2021)
Maternal mortality rate120 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)60 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures8% (2018)9.5% (2018)
Physicians density1.21 physicians/1,000 population (2018)2.16 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density3 beds/1,000 population (2017)2.1 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate26.4% (2016)22.1% (2016)
Demographic profile

Suriname is a pluralistic society consisting primarily of Creoles (persons of mixed African and European heritage), the descendants of escaped African slaves known as Maroons, and the descendants of Indian and Javanese (Indonesian) contract workers. The country overall is in full, post-industrial demographic transition, with a low fertility rate, a moderate mortality rate, and a rising life expectancy. However, the Maroon population of the rural interior lags behind because of lower educational attainment and contraceptive use, higher malnutrition, and significantly less access to electricity, potable water, sanitation, infrastructure, and health care.

Some 350,000 people of Surinamese descent live in the Netherlands, Suriname's former colonial ruler. In the 19th century, better-educated, largely Dutch-speaking Surinamese began emigrating to the Netherlands. World War II interrupted the outflow, but it resumed after the war when Dutch labor demands grew - emigrants included all segments of the Creole population. Suriname still is strongly influenced by the Netherlands because most Surinamese have relatives living there and it is the largest supplier of development aid. Other emigration destinations include French Guiana and the United States. Suriname's immigration rules are flexible, and the country is easy to enter illegally because rainforests obscure its borders. Since the mid-1980s, Brazilians have settled in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo, or eastern Suriname, where they mine gold. This immigration is likely to slowly re-orient Suriname toward its Latin American roots.

Brazil's rapid fertility decline since the 1960s is the main factor behind the country's slowing population growth rate, aging population, and fast-paced demographic transition. Brasilia has not taken full advantage of its large working-age population to develop its human capital and strengthen its social and economic institutions but is funding a study abroad program to bring advanced skills back to the country. The current favorable age structure will begin to shift around 2025, with the labor force shrinking and the elderly starting to compose an increasing share of the total population. Well-funded public pensions have nearly wiped out poverty among the elderly, and Bolsa Familia and other social programs have lifted tens of millions out of poverty. More than half of Brazil's population is considered middle class, but poverty and income inequality levels remain high; the Northeast, North, and Center-West, women, and black, mixed race, and indigenous populations are disproportionately affected. Disparities in opportunities foster social exclusion and contribute to Brazil's high crime rate, particularly violent crime in cities and favelas (slums).

Brazil has traditionally been a net recipient of immigrants, with its southeast being the prime destination. After the importation of African slaves was outlawed in the mid-19th century, Brazil sought Europeans (Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards, and Germans) and later Asians (Japanese) to work in agriculture, especially coffee cultivation. Recent immigrants come mainly from Argentina, Chile, and Andean countries (many are unskilled illegal migrants) or are returning Brazilian nationals. Since Brazil's economic downturn in the 1980s, emigration to the United States, Europe, and Japan has been rising but is negligible relative to Brazil's total population. The majority of these emigrants are well-educated and middle-class. Fewer Brazilian peasants are emigrating to neighboring countries to take up agricultural work.

Contraceptive prevalence rate39.1% (2018)80.2% (2013)

note: percent of women aged 18-49
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 51.1

youth dependency ratio: 40.3

elderly dependency ratio: 10.8

potential support ratio: 9.3 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 43.5

youth dependency ratio: 29.7

elderly dependency ratio: 13.8

potential support ratio: 7.3 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook