Decent Work Country Programme 2019 to 2021

ABSTRACT

Suriname is located in the South American continent with a population of approximately 573,0003 and geographic size of slightly under 164,000km. It is a democratic country which became independent from the Netherlands in 1975. Its Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is USD 5,1504 . In terms of human development, in 2017 it was classified as an upper middle income country and ranks 100 out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI). The population density is approximately 3.6 persons per square kilometre, making it the lowest in the Latin America and Caribbean region. Most of the population lives in the capital city of Paramaribo and surrounding areas, located on the country's northern coast. However, there are populations which live in the interior rural regions of Suriname. The relatively high cost of transportation and communication challenges pose barriers to the provision of services.