Suriname — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Suriname, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Suriname was 53.82% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 56.31% in 2019. The lowest was 46.61% in 1999 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.32% per year.
Suriname ranks 145 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 78%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 63.14%, so Suriname sits below it. It peaked in 2019 and has fallen 4% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 3%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 28 of 31 economies; Cuba (52.25%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 6% in 2020.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 169th of 187 in 1990 → 170th of 187 in 2000 → 147th of 187 in 2010 → 141st of 187 in 2020 → 143rd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 53.82% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 53.84% | +0.3 pp |
| 2023 | 53.58% | +0.2 pp |
| 2022 | 53.41% | +0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 53.25% | +0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 52.65% | -3.7 pp |
| 2019 | 56.31% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 56.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 56.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 56.12% | +0.6 pp |
| 2015 | 55.56% | +0.6 pp |
| 2014 | 55.01% | +0.6 pp |
| 2013 | 54.45% | +0.6 pp |
| 2012 | 53.89% | +0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 53.34% | +0.6 pp |
| 2010 | 52.78% | +0.6 pp |
| 2009 | 52.22% | +0.6 pp |
| 2008 | 51.66% | +0.6 pp |
| 2007 | 51.09% | +0.6 pp |
| 2006 | 50.53% | +0.6 pp |
| 2005 | 49.97% | +0.6 pp |
| 2004 | 49.41% | +0.6 pp |
| 2003 | 48.85% | +0.6 pp |
| 2002 | 48.29% | +0.6 pp |
| 2001 | 47.73% | +0.6 pp |
| 2000 | 47.17% | +0.6 pp |
| 1999 | 46.61% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 46.95% | -0.3 pp |
| 1997 | 47.29% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 47.64% | -0.3 pp |
| 1995 | 47.98% | -0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 48.04% | +0.1 pp |
| 1993 | 47.95% | -0.3 pp |
| 1992 | 48.22% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 48.23% | +0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 48.15% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Suriname’s Labor participation in 1991?
48.23% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Suriname’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +11.8% in total — about 0.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 53.82%; 2024: 53.84%; 2023: 53.58%; 2022: 53.41%; 2021: 53.25%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.