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Belize vs Suriname
Side-by-side comparison of Belize and Suriname from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Belize
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 45 years
Suriname
Latin America & Caribbean · nation age 51 years
In short
Belize scores 40.2 in the NationsTree Index (128th in the world) and Suriname scores 37.8 (137th), a gap of 2.4 points. Their trees are 1.4 m and 2.1 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Suriname has 51% more people than Belize. Suriname is 7.1 times larger than Belize by land area. Suriname has an economy 2.3 times the size of Belize (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Belize 422,924 and Suriname 639,850 (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $22,652 in Suriname and $14,966 in Belize (2025, international dollars). Life expectancy is almost the same: 73.7 and 73.8 years.
Of 31 indicators reported by both countries, Belize ranks higher in the world on 17 and Suriname on 14. Belize is clearly stronger in tourism, economy and environment & energy. Suriname is clearly stronger in main industries, land & people and natural resources.
As a nation, Suriname is the older of the two (statehood since 1975, 51 years), compared with Belize (since 1981). Over the last five years Suriname improved faster (direction score 76 vs 69 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Belize and Suriname.
Belizebetter
1.1%
38th of 180
Suriname
9.2%
158th of 180
Government budget balanceEconomy
Belizebetter
-1.0%
54th of 192
Suriname
-8.3%
180th of 192
High-tech exportsTrade
Belize
0.0%
165th of 168
Surinamebetter
10.4%
62nd of 168
Hospital bedsSociety & health
Belize
1.0
118th of 145
Surinamebetter
2.9
63rd of 145
CO₂ emissions per personEnvironment & energy
Belizebetter
0.93
62nd of 203
Suriname
4.06
136th of 203
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Suriname overtook Belize in life expectancy in 2022 and has stayed ahead since.
Belize overtook Suriname in the NationsTree Index in 2018 and has stayed ahead since.
Suriname overtook Belize in GDP per person (PPP) in 2004 and has stayed ahead since.
Suriname has been ahead of Belize in GDP (PPP) and 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
BelizeSuriname 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 | Belize | Suriname |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 22,966148th/216 · 2024 | 163,82091st/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 22,810148th/216 · 2024 | 160,50891st/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 422,924174th/217 · 2025 | 639,850168th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 1.39%75th/217 · 2025 | 0.85%110th/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 18.3192nd/216 · 2024 | 4.0210th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 41.6%169th/217 · 2025 | 65.8%104th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 26.3%88th/217 · 2025 | 25.3%93rd/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 5.2%145th/217 · 2025 | 8.2%116th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $3.33 bn179th/210 · 2025 | $4.52 bn171st/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $6.33 bn172nd/199 · 2025 | $14.49 bn159th/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $5.41 bn172nd/199 · 2025 | $12.39 bn159th/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $7,865115th/210 · 2025 | $7,070120th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $14,966123rd/199 · 2025 | $22,65297th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $7,530107th/201 · 2025 | $6,140119th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 2.7%124th/210 · 2025 | 1.8%152nd/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 1.1%38th/180 · 2025 | 9.2%158th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 8.9%141st/187 · 2025 | 7.8%132nd/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 61.0%2014 | — |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 66.9%131st/189 · 2025 | 96.9%165th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | -1.0%54th/192 · 2025 | -8.3%180th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 7.9%84th/197 · 2024 | 6.8%93rd/197 · 2024 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 14.6%162nd/200 · 2024 | 35.1%32nd/200 · 2024 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 6.6%138th/192 · 2024 | 19.8%21st/192 · 2024 |
| Services % of GDP | 62.4%70th/200 · 2024 | 50.8%142nd/200 · 2024 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $1.77 bn151st/182 · 2024 | $2.30 bn2010 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $1.72 bn160th/182 · 2024 | $1.68 bn2010 |
| Exports % of GDP | 55.2%41st/183 · 2024 | 52.5%2010 |
| Imports % of GDP | 53.7%67th/183 · 2024 | 38.4%2010 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 109.0%49th/183 · 2024 | 91.0%2010 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 0.0%152nd/170 · 2025 | 0.0%157th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 3.2%157th/171 · 2025 | 2.2%160th/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 95.3%4th/171 · 2025 | 2.4%149th/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 0.6%150th/171 · 2025 | 0.6%146th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 0.0%165th/168 · 2024 | 10.4%62nd/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | -2.8%112th/191 · 2025 | -53.3%191st/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | 0.0%177th/196 · 2025 | 45.4%2nd/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 0.5%131st/209 · 2021 | 9.6%47th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 0.28%66th/197 · 2021 | 7.93%21st/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 0.00%92nd/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 | 0.24%88th/209 · 2021 | 1.65%41st/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 4.6%139th/206 · 2024 | 0.3%199th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 37,89114th/183 · 2022 | 158,8673rd/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 487,000124th/194 · 2020 | 279,000146th/194 · 2017 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $101.0 m1998 | $19.0 m164th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 30.9%1998 | 0.8%157th/168 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 73.7120th/217 · 2024 | 73.8118th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 12.788th/196 · 2024 | 15.8104th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 1.092018 | 1.3696th/174 · 2023 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 1.0118th/145 · 2023 | 2.963rd/145 · 2022 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 88%117th/193 · 2024 | 69%172nd/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 52.2%113th/153 · 2020 | 50.0%114th/153 · 2022 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 86.5%114th/173 · 2024 | 76.1%134th/173 · 2023 |
| Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) % of population | 39.4%2009 | — |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 7.6%148th/217 · 2025 | 12.3%115th/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 4.1%152nd/193 · 2023 | 5.4%120th/193 · 2023 |
| Adult literacy % | 87.9%58th/98 · 2022 | 92.9%2012 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 24.8%112th/150 · 2024 | 2.6%150th/150 · 2024 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.721115th/193 · 2023 | 0.722114th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 39.92018 | 39.281st/108 · 2022 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 1.0%2018 | 2.2%62nd/108 · 2022 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 99.6%130th/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 | 80.0%102nd/186 · 2024 | 87.4%73rd/186 · 2023 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 67184th/210 · 2022 | 14236th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 9.8121st/208 · 2022 | 18.891st/208 · 2024 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 776,198105th/161 · 2023 | 149,672132nd/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 0.9362nd/203 · 2024 | 4.06136th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 30.8%78th/212 · 2022 | 14.5%126th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 16.899th/200 · 2023 | 15.788th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 58.0%36th/214 · 2024 | 91.5%2nd/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 6012007 | 1,68868th/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 48.6122nd/205 · 2025 | 52.1108th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 45.2100th/207 · 2025 | 40.3124th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 52.5123rd/207 · 2025 | 55.0113th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 79.856th/207 · 2025 | 76.171st/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 46.1139th/205 · 2025 | 41.8164th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 61.690th/205 · 2025 | 62.186th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 28.1134th/145 · 2022 | 6.5104th/145 · 2023 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $33.3 m147th/156 · 2025 | — |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 1.0%115th/156 · 2025 | — |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 3.7%117th/154 · 2025 | — |
| Armed forces personnel people | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 | 2,000154th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 1.32%50th/168 · 2020 | 0.85%82nd/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 1.0 m150th/163 · 2023 | 12.0 m103rd/163 · 2024 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| Patent applications by residents applications | 12006 | — |
| Scientific articles articles | 18175th/197 · 2023 | 26169th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Belize or Suriname?
Suriname has the larger population: 639,850 (2025) compared with 422,924 for Belize (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Belize or Suriname?
Suriname is larger: 163,820 km² (2024) compared with 22,966 km² for Belize (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Belize or Suriname?
Suriname has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $14.49 bn intl. (2025) compared with $6.33 bn intl. for Belize (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Belize or Suriname?
Suriname has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $22,652 intl. (2025) compared with $14,966 intl. for Belize (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Belize or Suriname?
Suriname has the higher life expectancy at birth: 73.8 years (2024) compared with 73.7 years for Belize (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Belize or Suriname?
Belize: 40.2 points (128th 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.
Aruba
Barbados
Cayman Islands
Curaçao
Saint Lucia
US Virgin Islands
BahamasSources
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). Belize vs Suriname — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/belize-vs-suriname. Data as of 26 October 2026.