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Bahamas vs Suriname
Side-by-side comparison of Bahamas and Suriname from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Bahamas
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 53 years
Suriname
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 51 years
In short
Bahamas scores 54.2 in the NationsTree Index (73rd in the world) and Suriname scores 37.8 (137th), a gap of 16.4 points. Their trees are 2.5 m and 2.1 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Suriname has 59% more people than Bahamas. Suriname is 12 times larger than Bahamas by land area. The economy of Bahamas is 14% larger than that of Suriname (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Bahamas 403,033 and Suriname 639,850 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $41,258 in Bahamas and $22,652 in Suriname (2025, international dollars). People in Bahamas live on average 1.0 years longer (74.7 vs 73.8 years).
Of 30 indicators reported by both countries, Bahamas ranks higher in the world on 24 and Suriname on 6. Bahamas is clearly stronger in tourism, economy and society & health. Suriname is clearly stronger in main industries and natural resources.
As a nation, Bahamas is the older of the two (statehood since 1973, 53 years), compared with Suriname (since 1975). Over the last five years Bahamas improved faster (direction score 80 vs 76 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Bahamas and Suriname.
Bahamasbetter
-0.5%
48th of 192
Suriname
-8.3%
180th of 192
InflationEconomy
Bahamasbetter
1.1%
40th of 180
Suriname
9.2%
158th of 180
Access to electricityInfrastructure & digital
Bahamasbetter
100.0%
1st of 215
Suriname
99.0%
135th of 215
High-tech exportsTrade
Bahamas
0.0%
166th of 168
Surinamebetter
10.4%
62nd of 168
Completed lower secondary, 25+Society & health
Bahamasbetter
96.1%
24th of 153
Suriname
50.0%
114th of 153
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Bahamas overtook Suriname in life expectancy in 2020 and has stayed ahead since.
Bahamas has been ahead of Suriname in the NationsTree Index in every year since 1996.
Bahamas has been ahead of Suriname in GDP per person (PPP) and GDP (PPP) in every year since 1990.
Suriname has been ahead of Bahamas in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
BahamasSuriname All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Bahamas | Suriname |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 13,878158th/216 · 2024 | 163,82091st/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 10,010163rd/216 · 2024 | 160,50891st/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 403,033175th/217 · 2025 | 639,850168th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 0.44%144th/217 · 2025 | 0.85%110th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 40.1162nd/216 · 2024 | 4.0210th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 81.3%53rd/217 · 2025 | 65.8%104th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 17.5%147th/217 · 2025 | 25.3%93rd/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 12.1%85th/217 · 2025 | 8.2%116th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $15.83 bn144th/210 · 2024 | $4.52 bn171st/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $16.56 bn154th/199 · 2024 | $14.49 bn159th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $14.54 bn154th/199 · 2024 | $12.39 bn159th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $39,45542nd/210 · 2024 | $7,070120th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $41,25865th/199 · 2024 | $22,65297th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $37,02038th/201 · 2024 | $6,140119th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 3.4%105th/210 · 2024 | 1.8%152nd/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 1.1%40th/180 · 2025 | 9.2%158th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 9.2%145th/187 · 2025 | 7.8%132nd/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 71.5%40th/55 · 2024 | — |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 71.7%138th/189 · 2025 | 96.9%165th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -0.5%48th/192 · 2025 | -8.3%180th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 0.5%182nd/197 · 2024 | 6.8%93rd/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 9.6%187th/200 · 2024 | 35.1%32nd/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 0.6%188th/192 · 2024 | 19.8%21st/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 77.2%13th/200 · 2024 | 50.8%142nd/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $5.98 bn127th/182 · 2024 | $2.30 bn2010 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $6.56 bn132nd/182 · 2024 | $1.68 bn2010 |
| Exports % of GDP | 37.8%88th/183 · 2024 | 52.5%2010 |
| Imports % of GDP | 41.5%98th/183 · 2024 | 38.4%2010 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 79.2%98th/183 · 2024 | 91.0%2010 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%165th/170 · 2024 | 0.0%157th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 31.2%89th/171 · 2024 | 2.2%160th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 52.2%27th/171 · 2024 | 2.4%149th/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 16.1%30th/171 · 2024 | 0.6%146th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 0.0%166th/168 · 2024 | 10.4%62nd/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -8.3%165th/191 · 2025 | -53.3%191st/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 1.5%120th/196 · 2024 | 45.4%2nd/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.0%171st/209 · 2021 | 9.6%47th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.00%120th/197 · 2021 | 7.93%21st/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 | 0.01%80th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.01%145th/209 · 2021 | 1.65%41st/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 0.8%186th/206 · 2024 | 0.3%199th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 1,761107th/183 · 2022 | 158,8673rd/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 1.8 m75th/194 · 2020 | 279,000146th/194 · 2017 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $1.01 bn73rd/175 · 2020 | $19.0 m164th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 59.6%14th/168 · 2020 | 0.8%157th/168 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 74.7109th/217 · 2024 | 73.8118th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 12.486th/196 · 2024 | 15.8104th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.902017 | 1.3696th/174 · 2023 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 2.284th/145 · 2023 | 2.963rd/145 · 2022 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 90%104th/193 · 2024 | 69%172nd/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 96.1%24th/153 · 2022 | 50.0%114th/153 · 2022 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 79.5%129th/173 · 2024 | 76.1%134th/173 · 2023 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 17.2%86th/217 · 2025 | 12.3%115th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 6.3%98th/193 · 2023 | 5.4%120th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | — | 92.9%2012 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 14.8%1995 | 2.6%150th/150 · 2024 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.82066th/193 · 2023 | 0.722114th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | — | 39.281st/108 · 2022 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | — | 2.2%62nd/108 · 2022 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 99.0%135th/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | — | 55.8%106th/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | — | 25.1%118th/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 92.5%42nd/186 · 2024 | 87.4%73rd/186 · 2023 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 97146th/210 · 2024 | 14236th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 25.375th/208 · 2024 | 18.891st/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 2.5085th/164 · 2022 | — |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 1.5 m89th/161 · 2023 | 149,672132nd/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 3.64123rd/203 · 2024 | 4.06136th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 1.1%187th/212 · 2022 | 14.5%126th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 5.317th/200 · 2023 | 15.788th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 50.9%55th/214 · 2024 | 91.5%2nd/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 2,0072007 | 1,68868th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 65.658th/205 · 2025 | 52.1108th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 69.136th/207 · 2025 | 40.3124th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 62.486th/207 · 2025 | 55.0113th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 83.541st/207 · 2025 | 76.171st/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 54.0101st/205 · 2025 | 41.8164th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 69.360th/205 · 2025 | 62.186th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 32.2136th/145 · 2022 | 6.5104th/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Armed forces personnel people | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.92%75th/168 · 2020 | 0.85%82nd/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 12.0 m2017 | 12.0 m103rd/163 · 2024 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 02015 | — |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | 42017 | — |
| Scientific articles articles | 15179th/197 · 2023 | 26169th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Bahamas or Suriname?
Suriname has the larger population: 639,850 (2025) compared with 403,033 for Bahamas (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Bahamas or Suriname?
Suriname is larger: 163,820 km² (2024) compared with 13,878 km² for Bahamas (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Bahamas or Suriname?
Bahamas has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $16.56 bn intl. (2024) compared with $14.49 bn intl. for Suriname (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Bahamas or Suriname?
Bahamas has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $41,258 intl. (2024) compared with $22,652 intl. for Suriname (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Bahamas or Suriname?
Bahamas has the higher life expectancy at birth: 74.7 years (2024) compared with 73.8 years for Suriname (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Bahamas or Suriname?
Bahamas: 54.2 points (73rd in the world); Suriname: 37.8 points (137th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Barbados
Haiti
Jamaica
Belize
Cayman IslandsSources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Bahamas vs Suriname — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/bahamas-vs-suriname. Data as of 26 October 2026.