Invest in Suriname: Why to invest?
INVEST IN SURINAME: WHY TO INVEST?
A bridge
between continents
Suriname is perfectly located in the northeast of the South American continent, sharing a border with Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana (EU), halfway between the Equator and the Caribbean.
The country acts as a bridge between the continents that surround the Atlantic Ocean, a perfect spot for linking America, Europe, and Africa, as well as the Caribbean Islands.
Investor confidence is rising: 62% of investors surveyed in April 2025 expected business conditions to improve, up from 38% in August 2024.
INVEST IN SURINAME: WHY TO INVEST?
Access to other markets
Being aware of the importance that international trade has nowadays, Suriname has promoted both the signing of international trade agreements and its participation in regional integration processes.
Currently, the country is party to several multilateral and bilateral trade agreements and is member of:
- Caribbean Community (CARICOM): duty-free access to about 19 million consumers
- CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement: duty-free, quota-free access to about 450 million EU consumers
- Associate country in MERCOSUR
INVEST IN SURINAME: WHY TO INVEST?
Labor force:
young, multilingual and competitively priced
- Young population: the average age of the workforce is 29.
- Language: most workers speak both Dutch and English. Spanish and Portuguese are also spoken.
- Skills: about 21,300 secondary students are in technical and vocational education, and more than 3,400 students attend the public university.
- Cost-competitive: labour costs are competitive compared with the rest of the region.
INVEST IN SURINAME: WHY TO INVEST?
An attractive business and living environment
Operation costs
Electricity: US$0.12 to 0.14 per kWh (commercial and industrial)
Low average rental rate: An office space rental rate per square meter/month is around US$10-25.
Incentives: Suriname offers several incentives for foreign investors that can be consulted here.
Society
Diversity: Suriname relies on a peaceful multi-cultural society formed by Amerindians, East-Indians, Javanese, Maroons, Creole, Chinese and Europeans, among others. Therefore, its workforce is used to dealing with people that have different cultural characteristics.
Cuisine: Suriname’s cultural diversity is also present in the great variety of international cuisine, especially in the capital, where it is possible to find traditional dishes from all over the world: from spicy curried Hindustani cuisine to complex Javanese food and authentic Creole dishes.
Geographical Charateristics
Weather: Suriname has a tropical weather with an average temperature of 27ºC/80,6 ºF and sun is rarely absent . Therefore, it’s a very comfortable place to live and work.
Lack of natural disasters: Suriname is outside the Atlantic hurricane belt.
Time zone: UTC-3. Real-time overlap with North American and European working hours.
Low density: With 163,820 km² and about 660,000 people, Suriname has plenty of land available.
Good air connectivity: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, with flights via Amsterdam, Panama and the Caribbean.
Expanding sea connectivity: A robust port in Paramaribo, named Container Port of the Year 2022 by the Caribbean Shipping Association. A deepwater port is planned at Nieuw Nickerie.
Opportunities
