Photo: WiDi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 04 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Suriname: Education & Knowledge
How far does a country's schooling carry its children?
Suriname is placed 157th of 198 countries on education & knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Out-of-School Rate, Primary 16.22 (2024); Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary 86.53 (2024).
Share
Education & Knowledge
157th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 4 of 4 key statistics
- 16.22Out-of-School Rate, Primary, 2024Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
- 86.53Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, 2024Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
- 34.48Upper Secondary Completion Rate, 2025Upper secondary completion rate (%)
- 2.866Government Spending on Education, 2023Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Suriname on education & knowledge — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 4
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Suriname’s is from 2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0
16.22
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%)
Lower is better
Suriname: 16.22. Across the 192 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0.004 (United Arab Emirates) to 65.6 (Equatorial Guinea); the world median is 3.691.
- World median
- 3.691
- Best in South America
- 0.035 Uruguay
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 2.187 · France 0.204 · Guyana 17.98
Key 2 of 4
Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
Latest reading per country, 2014–2024 · Suriname’s is from 2024 · CC BY-SA 4.0
86.53
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)
Higher is better
Suriname: 86.53. Across the 187 countries at their latest reading, values run from 3.411 (Yemen) to 100 (United Arab Emirates); the world median is 85.9.
- World median
- 85.9
- Best in South America
- 99.8 Peru
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 93.15 · France 99.76 · Guyana 77.98
Key 3 of 4
Upper Secondary Completion Rate
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
34.48
Upper secondary completion rate (%)
Higher is better
Suriname: 34.48. Across the 164 countries in this edition, values run from 2.13 (South Sudan) to 99.27 (South Korea); the world median is 64.87.
- World median
- 64.87
- Best in South America
- 86.87 Chile
- Land neighbours
- Brazil 72.18 · France 87.56 · Guyana 70.7
Key 4 of 4
Government Spending on Education
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
2023 edition · data for 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0
2.866
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Higher is better
Suriname: 2.866. Across the 123 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Somalia) to 16.39 (Kiribati); the world median is 3.709.
- World median
- 3.709
- Best in South America
- 7.894 Bolivia
02Over time
Which way Suriname is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Out-of-School Rate, Primary
Out-of-school rate, primary age (%) · lower is better
SurinameWorld median
Suriname fell from 18.05 in 2005 to 16.22 in 2024; the world median went from 4.571 to 3.691.
Every year’s figures
Year Suriname World median 2024 16.22 3.691 2023 39.61 3.393 2022 29.80 3.002 2021 21.78 3.330 2020 17.95 2.678 2019 16.40 2.758 2018 19.10 2.439 2017 19.06 2.907 2016 13.73 2.954 2015 14.03 3.052 2014 16.86 3.904 2013 17.31 3.413 2012 17.89 3.408 2011 18.63 3.626 2010 18.08 3.491 2009 16.00 3.577 2008 17.91 3.878 2007 21.90 4.029 2006 18.09 4.338 2005 18.05 4.571 2004 — 3.791 2003 — 4.412 2002 — 4.144 2001 — 4.051 2000 — 8.642 Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary
Children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) · higher is better
SurinameWorld median
Suriname rose from 79.04 in 2008 to 86.53 in 2024; the world median went from 85.81 to 85.9.
Every year’s figures
Year Suriname World median 2024 86.53 85.9 2023 87.61 87.6 2022 80.85 87.7 2021 80.47 87.0 2020 87.49 88.3 2019 84.22 88.8 2018 84.25 89.6 2017 84.00 87.4 2016 87.73 87.9 2015 88.23 88.2 2014 86.21 89.2 2013 82.46 88.0 2012 78.88 85.4 2011 75.07 86.2 2010 77.23 86.1 2009 80.80 84.8 2008 79.04 85.8 2007 — 86.7 2006 — 84.0 2005 — 82.2 2004 — 81.8 2003 — 78.3 2002 — 80.0 2001 — 80.8 2000 — 66.3 Upper Secondary Completion Rate
Upper secondary completion rate (%) · higher is better
SurinameWorld median
Suriname rose from 18.9 in 2000 to 34.48 in 2025; the world median went from 38 to 64.87.
Every year’s figures
Year Suriname World median 2025 34.5 64.9 2024 33.8 65.0 2023 33.3 64.2 2022 32.7 63.6 2021 32.1 62.9 2020 31.5 62.2 2019 30.9 61.5 2018 30.3 60.9 2017 29.9 60.5 2016 29.5 60.1 2015 29.1 58.9 2014 28.9 57.0 2013 28.6 54.7 2012 28.2 52.4 2011 27.7 50.9 2010 27.0 49.5 2009 26.1 48.5 2008 25.0 47.4 2007 23.9 46.2 2006 23.1 45.0 2005 22.5 43.8 2004 22.0 42.9 2003 21.4 41.6 2002 20.7 40.3 2001 19.8 39.0 2000 18.9 38.0 Government Spending on Education
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) · higher is better
SurinameWorld median
Suriname fell from 5.535 in 2015 to 2.866 in 2023; the world median went from 4.239 to 3.709.
Every year’s figures
Year Suriname World median 2023 2.87 3.7092 2022 3.43 4.0570 2021 4.13 4.2611 2020 4.58 4.4056 2019 6.78 4.1407 2018 4.92 4.2159 2017 5.46 4.1401 2016 5.64 4.2342 2015 5.53 4.2386 2014 — 4.2005 2013 — 4.3493 2012 — 4.0348 2011 — 3.9987 2010 — 4.1396 2009 — 4.6638 2008 — 4.4226 2007 — 4.1717 2006 — 4.0593 2005 — 4.0557 2004 — 3.9745 2003 — 4.1595 2002 — 4.0173 2001 — 4.1002 2000 — 3.8861
03In context
Suriname beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on education & knowledge, never a place within the region.
Suriname and the countries it borders
Standing among all 198; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Out-of-School Rate, PrimaryOut-of-school rate, primary age (%) | Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before PrimaryChildren one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%) | Upper Secondary Completion RateUpper secondary completion rate (%) | Government Spending on EducationGovernment expenditure on education (% of GDP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 France | 10th | 0.204 | 99.76 | 87.56 | — |
 Brazil | =72nd | 2.187 | 93.15 | 72.18 | — |
 Guyana | 148th | 17.98 | 77.98 | 70.7 | — |
| Suriname | 157th | 16.22 | 86.53 | 34.48 | 2.866 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across South America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on education & knowledge
The countries immediately above and below Suriname in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Suriname is ahead of the world, and behind
15 more statistics filed under education & knowledge, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median3
Statistics on which Suriname does better than the middle country measured.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.8280.619▲ Improved since 2015
Suriname: 0.828 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 46th of 176 · derived.
Pre-Primary Net Enrolment RateUIS · 2024 · world median 65.938165.93▲ Improved since 2014
Suriname: 81 · world median 65.93 · Net enrolment rate, pre-primary (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.779 to 99.85; higher is better.
Position 43rd of 120 · derived.
Gender Parity Index, Tertiary EnrolmentUIS · 2024 · world median 1.2441.2681.244▼ Worsened since 2019
Suriname: 1.268 · world median 1.244 · Adjusted gender parity index, tertiary gross enrolment (1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.74 to 1.83; higher is better.
Position 54th of 95 · derived.
Behind the world median11
Statistics on which Suriname does worse than the middle country measured.
Youth Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 98.2297.6998.22No earlier reading
Suriname: 97.69 · world median 98.22 · 15–24 year-olds who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 36.7 to 100; higher is better.
Adult Literacy RateUIS · 2024 · world median 93.9992.8793.99No earlier reading
Suriname: 92.87 · world median 93.99 · Adults 15+ who can read and write (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 26.83 to 100; higher is better.
Position 94th of 172 · derived.
Primary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 97.4391.2997.43No real change since 2015
Suriname: 91.29 · world median 97.43 · Primary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 7.94 to 100; higher is better.
Position 104th of 165 · derived.
Mean Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 9.9338.439.933▼ Worsened since 2013
Suriname: 8.43 · world median 9.933 · Mean years of schooling (adults 25+). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.412 to 14.3; higher is better.
Position 123rd of 193 · derived.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.3020.529No earlier reading
Suriname: 0.302 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Lower Secondary Completion RateUIS · 2025 · world median 89.2161.3489.21No real change since 2015
Suriname: 61.34 · world median 89.21 · Lower secondary completion rate (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 13.73 to 100; higher is better.
Position 112th of 164 · derived.
Primary Schools with Internet for TeachingUIS · 2024 · world median 98.6657.8998.66No earlier reading
Suriname: 57.89 · world median 98.66 · Primary schools with internet access for teaching (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Expected Years of SchoolingUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 13.3410.9613.34▼ Worsened since 2013
Suriname: 10.96 · world median 13.34 · Expected years of schooling. UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 5.635 to 21.69; higher is better.
Position 159th of 195 · derived.
Primary Schools with ElectricityUIS · 2024 · world median 10076.84100No earlier reading
Suriname: 76.84 · world median 100 · Primary schools with access to electricity (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.246 to 100; higher is better.
Out-of-School Rate, Lower Secondary AgeUIS · 2024 · world median 6.34339.646.343▼ Worsened since 2014
Suriname: 39.64 · world median 6.343 · Out-of-school rate, lower secondary age (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.011 to 79.71; lower is better.
Position 9th of 116 · derived, 1st = worst.
Tertiary Enrolment RatioUIS · 2024 · world median 52.772.56652.77No real change since 2019
Suriname: 2.566 · world median 52.77 · Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 2.566 to 141.86; higher is better.
Position 95th of 95 · derived.
No better end1
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Scholarly ArticlesOurResearch · 2025 · world median 2,240592,240No real change since 2022
Suriname: 59 · world median 2,240 · Articles with at least one author at an institution in the country (full counting). OpenAlex (OurResearch), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 1,094,890.
No current reading for Suriname
Bachelor's or Higher Attainment (last 2022), Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Government Funding per Primary Student, Harmonized Test Scores, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary (last 2021), Intergenerational Persistence in Education, Learning Poverty, Learning-Adjusted Years of School, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary (last 2022), PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary (last 2023), Qualified Teachers in Primary Education (last 2021), Research and Development Spending, Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy (last 2021), Secondary School Enrolment (last 2023), Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Education & Knowledge among Suriname’s 16 topics
Education & Knowledge is Suriname’s 15th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Gender & Equality38th of 1833/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties64th of 1984/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 58th of 1773/4 keys
- Energy57th of 1652/3 keys
- Health & Wellbeing93rd of 2003/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience91st of 1933/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions94th of 1944/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation94th of 1762/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality90th of 1593/3 keys
- Mobility & Tradejoint 108th of 1773/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital122nd of 1963/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainability120th of 1863/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture119th of 1844/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 119th of 1824/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge157th of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 160th of 1984/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on education & knowledge
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Suriname can most readily be measured against.
1
United Arab EmiratesWestern Asia
1st of 198 · 2 of 4 keys
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
GreeceSouthern Europe
2nd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
PolandEastern Europe
3rd of 198 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich) · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest placed on all 4 keys
Moldova7th4/4 keysHighest in Americas
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines11th3/4 keysHighest in South America
Peru=19th4/4 keysThis page
Suriname157th4/4 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Suriname on education & knowledge: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Suriname rank on education & knowledge?
Suriname is placed 157th of 198 countries on Education & Knowledge in the Country Index 2026, from 4 of its 4 key statistics (Out-of-School Rate, Primary, Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary, Upper Secondary Completion Rate and Government Spending on Education). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Out-of-School Rate, Primary figure for Suriname?
16.22 in 2024 (out-of-school rate, primary age (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 3.691.
What is the latest Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary figure for Suriname?
86.53 in 2024 (children one year before primary entry age in organised learning (%)), according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). The world median in the same edition was 85.9.
How does Suriname compare with Brazil on education & knowledge?
Brazil is placed joint 72nd of 198, and Suriname 157th. Out-of-School Rate, Primary: Brazil 2.187, Suriname 16.22; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary: Brazil 93.15, Suriname 86.53; Upper Secondary Completion Rate: Brazil 72.18, Suriname 34.48.
How have Suriname’s education & knowledge figures changed?
Out-of-School Rate, Primary fell from 18.05 in 2005 to 16.22 in 2024; Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary rose from 79.04 in 2008 to 86.53 in 2024; Upper Secondary Completion Rate rose from 18.9 in 2000 to 34.48 in 2025; Government Spending on Education fell from 5.535 in 2015 to 2.866 in 2023.
Which education & knowledge statistics are missing for Suriname?
No current reading is published for Suriname on Bachelor's or Higher Attainment, Female Share of Researchers, Female Share of STEM Graduates, Government Funding per Primary Student, Harmonized Test Scores, Inbound Mobility Rate, Tertiary, Intergenerational Persistence in Education, Learning Poverty, Learning-Adjusted Years of School, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Mathematics, End of Primary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Lower Secondary, Minimum Proficiency in Reading, End of Primary, Nobel Prize Laureates by Country of Birth, Outbound Mobility Ratio, Tertiary, PISA Mathematics Performance, PISA Reading Performance, PISA Science Performance, Pupils per Qualified Teacher, Primary, Qualified Teachers in Primary Education, Research and Development Spending, Researchers per Million Inhabitants, School Life Expectancy, Secondary School Enrolment, Share of Graduates from ICT Programmes, Trust in Scientists and Upper Secondary Attainment. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
How much children actually learn is only partly covered. International test scores exist for a limited group of countries, and they are published here as context rather than used as a key, because a key must describe most of the world. Universities, research, and youth and adult literacy also appear as context.
How the Education & Knowledge standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The education & knowledge method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Out-of-School Rate, Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Participation in Organised Learning One Year Before Primary — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Upper Secondary Completion Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Government Spending on Education — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 15 statistics on this page come from 4 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Suriname’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Suriname (banner) — WiDi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- United Arab Emirates — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greece — User:Ggia derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Poland — Ralf Lotys (Sicherlich), CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Suriname: Education & Knowledge — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/suriname/education