Languages spoken in Suriname
South America · Capital: Paramaribo · Population 646,758
The official language of Suriname is Dutch. An estimated 90% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 582,082 people. The only other recorded language is Chinese, at 1.1% of the population. Dutch belongs to the Indo-European language family. Dutch is not recorded in any of Suriname's two neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Suriname, and their shares add up to 91.1% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Suriname?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| DutchIndo-European | 90% | Official | 582,082 |
| ChineseSino-Tibetan | 1.1% | Spoken | 7,114 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Suriname?
The official language of Suriname is Dutch. Dutch is spoken by an estimated 90% of the population, or roughly 582,082 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Dutch in Suriname?
An estimated 90% of Suriname's 646,758 people speak Dutch, which works out at roughly 582,082 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Suriname
- Capital
- Paramaribo
- Population
- 646,758
- Continent
- South America
- Area
- 163,820 km²
- Currency
- SRD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- SR / SUR / 740
Which countries border Suriname?
Suriname shares a land border with two countries: Brazil and Guyana. None of them records Dutch, the most widely spoken language in Suriname, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.