Suriname: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 1.47 percentage points from 4.21% in 2011. Since 1987 it is down 9.97 percentage points from 15.65% in 1987. The World Bank has no value for 10 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2016, Suriname's unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) rose 1.3 percentage points on 2015 (from 4.38% to 5.68%).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2015), the average change was −0.34 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.64 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.7 percentage points in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.38 percentage points in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2009 to 2016 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 5% of the movement over 8 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Suriname in the 2016 ranking

• Isle of Man — 2nd of 4: 3.03%
• Kuwait — 3rd of 4: 0.94%
• Tajikistan — 4th of 4: 0.06%

What this measures

Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.

Limitations: While the unemployment rate may be considered the most informative labour market indicator, reflecting the general performance of the labour market and the economy as a whole, it should not be interpreted as a measure of economic hardship or of well-being. When based on the internationally-recommended standards, the unemployment rate simply reflects the proportion of the labour force that does not have a job but is available and actively looking for work. It says nothing about the economic resources of unemployed workers or their family members. Its use should, therefore, be limited to serving as a measurement of the utilization of labour and an indication of the failure to find work.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 20 values

Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 6.72% (2025)
• Bahamas, The — 7.87% (2024)
• Barbados — 6.66% (2024)
• Belize — 5.87% (2019)
• Bolivia — 2.03% (2025)
• Brazil — 4.79% (2025)
• Cayman Islands — 3.3% (2015)
• Chile — 8.38% (2025)
• Colombia — 6.78% (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Suriname

• Net migration — -967 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 56 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 27.67% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 42.36% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 35.11% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 51.01% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 69.04% (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Suriname's unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)?

5.68% in 2016, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1987?

It is down 9.97 percentage points from 15.65% in 1987. The highest value was 15.65% in 1987 and the lowest 3.53% in 2014.

Is the latest change in unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) unusual for Suriname?

In 2016, Suriname's unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) rose 1.3 percentage points on 2015 (from 4.38% to 5.68%). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2015), the average change was −0.34 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.64 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.MA.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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