Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Suriname instead of Guatemala, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In Guatemala, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 75 years for women) as of 2024. In Suriname, that number is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024.
see 22.2% more spent on your healthcare
Guatemala spends $935 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Suriname spends $1,143 as of 2023.
be 8.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS
In Guatemala, 0.2% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Suriname, that number is 1.6% of people as of 2024.
be 10.0% more likely to be obese
In Guatemala, 28.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Suriname, that number is 30.8% of people as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Guatemala has a suicide rate of 4.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Suriname, it is 22.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 68.6% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Guatemala, 56.0% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Suriname, however, that number is 17.6% as of 2022.
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Guatemala, 2.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Suriname, that number is 7.8% as of 2025.
Life
be 15.7% more likely to be literate
In Guatemala, the literacy rate is 82.1% as of 2024. In Suriname, it is 95.0% as of 2021.
be 14.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Guatemala, approximately 17.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Suriname, on the other hand, 14.8 children do as of 2024.
have 16.8% fewer children
In Guatemala, there are approximately 20.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Suriname, there are 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 45.1% more likely to have internet access
In Guatemala, approximately 60.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Suriname, about 87.4% do as of 2023.
Expenditures
spend 20.4% less on healthcare
Guatemala spends 6.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Suriname, that number is 5.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 72.1% less likely to be murdered
Guatemala has a homicide rate of 23.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Suriname, that number is 6.5 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 28.6% more likely to die in a road accident
In Guatemala, road accidents kill 12.6 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Suriname, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.5 times more home broadband
Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Suriname has 18.8 as of 2024.
live with 31.2% less strain on fresh water
Guatemala withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Suriname withdraws 4% as of 2022.
use 4.0 times more electricity
Guatemala uses 733 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Suriname uses 2,897 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 3.7 times more CO2
Guatemala emits 1.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Suriname emits 4.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Guatemala vs. Suriname
Suriname: At a glance
How big is Suriname compared to Guatemala? See an in-depth size comparison.