Suriname — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Suriname, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Suriname was 7.83% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 17.28% in 1992. The lowest was 6.60% in 2013 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -2.28% per year.
Suriname ranks 56 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 30%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Suriname sits above it. It peaked in 1992 and has fallen 55% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 9%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 11 of 31 economies; Uruguay (7.52%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 34% in 1995.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 19th of 187 in 1991 → 39th of 187 in 2000 → 91st of 187 in 2010 → 61st of 187 in 2020 → 52nd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.83% | +0.2 pp |
| 2024 | 7.62% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 7.7% | -0.3 pp |
| 2022 | 7.97% | -0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 8.71% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 8.97% | +1.2 pp |
| 2019 | 7.76% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 7.82% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 7.91% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 7.92% | +0.7 pp |
| 2015 | 7.22% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 6.94% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 6.6% | -1.5 pp |
| 2012 | 8.1% | +0.6 pp |
| 2011 | 7.54% | +0.4 pp |
| 2010 | 7.15% | -1.6 pp |
| 2009 | 8.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 8.85% | -0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 9.02% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 9.14% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 9.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 9.49% | -0.8 pp |
| 2003 | 10.34% | -0.9 pp |
| 2002 | 11.19% | -0.9 pp |
| 2001 | 12.05% | -0.8 pp |
| 2000 | 12.87% | -0.7 pp |
| 1999 | 13.6% | +3.0 pp |
| 1998 | 10.63% | +0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 10.56% | -0.3 pp |
| 1996 | 10.88% | +2.5 pp |
| 1995 | 8.39% | -4.3 pp |
| 1994 | 12.7% | -2.9 pp |
| 1993 | 15.64% | -1.6 pp |
| 1992 | 17.28% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 17.19% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Suriname’s Unemployment in 1992?
17.28% (1992). 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 total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Suriname’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -54.4% in total — about 2.3% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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: 7.83%; 2024: 7.62%; 2023: 7.7%; 2022: 7.97%; 2021: 8.71%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment 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.