Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 63.6% less likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Suriname, 1.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Colombia, that number is 0.4% of people as of 2020.

live 2.5 years longer

In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 72 years (69 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2022. In Colombia, that number is 75 years (71 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2022.

be 15.5% less likely to be obese

In Suriname, 26.4% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Colombia, that number is 22.3% of people as of 2016.

Economy

be 49.0% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Suriname, 70.0% live below the poverty line as of 2002. In Colombia, however, that number is 35.7% as of 2019.

pay a 13.2% lower top tax rate

Suriname has a top tax rate of 38.0% as of 2016. In Colombia, the top tax rate is 33.0% as of 2016.

make 16.8% less money

Suriname has a GDP per capita of $16,100 as of 2020, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $13,400 as of 2020.

be 18.0% more likely to be unemployed

In Suriname, 8.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In Colombia, that number is 10.5% as of 2019.

Life

be 30.8% less likely to die during childbirth

In Suriname, approximately 120.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In Colombia, 83.0 women do as of 2017.

be 61.5% less likely to die during infancy

In Suriname, approximately 30.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Colombia, on the other hand, 11.7 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 37.5% less on education

Suriname spends 7.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Colombia spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2019.

spend 20.6% less on healthcare

Suriname spends 9.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. In Colombia, that number is 7.7% of GDP as of 2019.

Geography

see 8.3 times more coastline

Suriname has a total of 386 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Ministry of Finance, Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN).

Colombia: At a glance

Colombia is a sovereign country in South America, with a total land area of approximately 1,038,700 sq km. Colombia was one of the three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). A nearly five-decade long conflict between government forces and anti-government insurgent groups, principally the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) heavily funded by the drug trade, escalated during the 1990s. More than 31,000 former paramilitaries had demobilized by the end of 2006 and the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia as a formal organization had ceased to function. In the wake of the paramilitary demobilization, emerging criminal groups arose, whose members include some former paramilitaries. The insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, but continue attacks against civilians. Large areas of the countryside are under guerrilla influence or are contested by security forces. In November 2012, the Colombian Government started formal peace negotiations with the FARC aimed at reaching a definitive bilateral ceasefire and incorporating demobilized FARC members into mainstream society and politics. The Colombian Government has stepped up efforts to reassert government control throughout the country, and now has a presence in every one of its administrative departments. Despite decades of internal conflict and drug related security challenges, Colombia maintains relatively strong democratic institutions characterized by peaceful, transparent elections and the protection of civil liberties.
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How big is Colombia compared to Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.

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