Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Samoa instead of Suriname, you would:
Health
be 46.1% less likely to die by suicide
Suriname has a suicide rate of 22.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Samoa, it is 12.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.9 years less
In Suriname, the average life expectancy is 74 years (71 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 72 years (70 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.1 times more likely to be obese
In Suriname, 30.8% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Samoa, that number is 64.3% of people as of 2024.
see 58.5% less spent on your healthcare
Suriname spends $1,143 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Samoa spends $475 as of 2023.
have 58.6% fewer doctors per person
Suriname has 13.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Samoa has 5.6 as of 2021.
have 12.7% less access to essential health services
Suriname scores 63 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Samoa scores 55 as of 2021.
Economy
be 36.1% less likely to be unemployed
In Suriname, 7.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Samoa, that number is 5.0% as of 2025.
make 16.9% less money
Suriname has a GDP per capita of $7,070 as of 2025, while in Samoa, the GDP per capita is $5,873 as of 2025.
Life
be 16.9% less likely to die during infancy
In Suriname, approximately 14.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Samoa, on the other hand, 12.3 children do as of 2024.
have 45.6% more children
In Suriname, there are approximately 17.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Samoa, there are 25.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 20.2% more likely to die during childbirth
In Suriname, approximately 84.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Samoa, 101.0 women do as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 13.9% less likely to have internet access
In Suriname, approximately 87.4% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Samoa, about 75.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 90.2% more on education
Suriname spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Samoa spends 5.5% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 25.3% more on healthcare
Suriname spends 5.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Samoa, that number is 6.8% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 40.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In Suriname, road accidents kill 16.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Samoa, they kill 9.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.3% less home broadband
Suriname has 18.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Samoa has 0.9 as of 2022.
Environment
be 12.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Suriname, air pollution causes 39.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Samoa, it causes 34.0 as of 2019.
emit 60.6% less CO2
Suriname emits 4.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Samoa emits 1.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Suriname vs. Samoa
Samoa: At a glance
How big is Samoa compared to Suriname? See an in-depth size comparison.