Share of population living in rural areas in Suriname
Suriname: Share of population living in rural areas was 29.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Suriname, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Suriname stood at 29.2%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Suriname peaked at 56.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 29.2%, in 2020.
That places Suriname 98th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Suriname, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 56.5% | — |
| 1955 | 53.3% | -5.7% |
| 1960 | 49.5% | -7.1% |
| 1965 | 44.9% | -9.2% |
| 1970 | 40.9% | -9.0% |
| 1975 | 39.8% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 37.6% | -5.6% |
| 1985 | 37.0% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 37.4% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 37.3% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 37.6% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 36.3% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 32.6% | -10.3% |
| 2015 | 31.4% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 29.2% | -7.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 54.9% | 53.3% | 56.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 47.2% | 44.9% | 49.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.4% | 39.8% | 40.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 37.3% | 37.0% | 37.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 37.4% | 37.3% | 37.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 36.9% | 36.3% | 37.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 32.0% | 31.4% | 32.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 29.2% | 29.2% | 29.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Suriname
More population data for Suriname
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3455 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3455 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.3304 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 725.52 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7378 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6331 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Population density 4.54 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 34,218 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Suriname?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Suriname was 29.2% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Suriname?
- The highest recorded value was 56.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Suriname?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.2% in 2020.
- How does Suriname rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Suriname ranks 98th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Suriname?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Suriname data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.