Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Suriname instead of Alaska, you would:

Health

live 4.2 years less

In Alaska, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020. In Suriname, that number is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022.

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Economy

make 75.0% less money

Alaska has a GDP per capita of $75,882 as of 2024, while in Suriname, the GDP per capita is $19,000 as of 2023.

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be 54.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Alaska, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Suriname, that number is 7.7% as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 27.3% less likely to have internet access

In Alaska, approximately 90.8% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Suriname, about 66.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Compare further: Alaska vs. Suriname

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Suriname is 44.2% cheaper than Alaska
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Size Comparison · See true size
Alaska is about 9 times bigger than Suriname.
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Suriname: At a glance

Suriname is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 156,000 sq km. First explored by the Spaniards in the 16th century and then settled by the English in the mid-17th century, Suriname became a Dutch colony in 1667. With the abolition of African slavery in 1863, workers were brought in from India and Java. Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to exert control through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In 1990, the military overthrew the civilian leadership, but a democratically elected government - a four-party coalition - returned to power in 1991. The coalition expanded to eight parties in 2005 and ruled until August 2010, when voters returned former military leader Desire BOUTERSE and his opposition coalition to power.
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How big is Suriname compared to Alaska? See an in-depth size comparison.

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