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 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.

urban: 90% of population
rural: 66% of population
total: 84% of population

urban: 10% of population
rural: 34% of population
total: 16% of population

$6.429 billion (2011 est.)
$6.173 billion (2010 est.)

4.2% (2011 est.)
4.1% (2010 est.)

$11,900 (2011 est.)
$11,600 (2010 est.)

Surinamese dollars (SRD) per US dollar -
3.5 (2012 est.)
3.2683 (2011 est.)
2.7454 (2010 est.)
2.745 (2009)
2.745 (2008)