Suriname: crime and justice

What is the homicide rate in Suriname?

Suriname's intentional homicide rate was 6.5 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to UN Office on Drugs and Crime figures published by the World Bank.

With a population of about 639,000, that rate is equivalent to roughly 42 homicides a year. The Ministry of Justice and Police records femicide cases separately: there were 10 in 2025 and 7 in 2024, according to the General Bureau of Statistics gender publication 2025. Small numbers can change noticeably from year to year.

Official sources: World Bank: intentional homicides, Suriname · ABS: gender publication 2025 (PDF)

Is crime falling in Suriname?

Overall crime in Suriname showed a downward trend of 23%, while domestic violence increased, Justice and Police Minister Harish Monorath said in January 2026, according to the Government of Suriname. He linked the decline to tougher action against regular crime.

The announcement did not say which period or offences the 23% covers, and no detailed recorded-crime series was found on the General Bureau of Statistics site, checked on 15 October 2026. The minister said victims' financial dependence often leads them to withdraw complaints, and that the three existing foundations do not offer enough crisis shelter places.

Official sources: Government of Suriname: crime falls, domestic violence rises (Dutch)

How many police officers does Suriname have?

The Suriname Police Force had 2,493 officers in 2025, of whom 440 were women, according to Ministry of Justice and Police figures in the General Bureau of Statistics gender publication 2025. That was down from 2,577 in 2024 but up from 2,073 in 2021.

The table breaks officers down by rank, from constables to the chief commissioner. With a mid-year population of 639,000, the 2025 total is about 390 officers per 100,000 people. The share of women rose from 15% in 2021 to 18% in 2025.

Official sources: ABS: gender publication 2025 (PDF)

What is the homicide rate in Suriname?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the intentional homicide rate in Suriname was 6.5 per 100,000 in 2023. Since 2005 it has ranged from 5.0 per 100,000 (2019) to 13.3 per 100,000 (2005). It is 22nd highest of 25 in Latin America & Caribbean, where the median is 19.1 per 100,000. World rank, highest first: 24th of 79.

How many women are killed in Suriname?

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the homicide rate for women in Suriname was 2.2 per 100,000 in 2023. The peak was 5.6 per 100,000 in 2007 and the low 1.1 per 100,000 in 2013. Latin America & Caribbean median: 3.4 per 100,000; Suriname is 18th highest of 25. World rank, highest first: 24th of 78.

What is the male homicide rate in Suriname?

The latest figure from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for 2023, is 10.8 per 100,000. The peak was 13.4 per 100,000 in 2020 and the low 7.9 per 100,000 in 2015. Across Latin America & Caribbean the middle value was 33.1 per 100,000, and Suriname placed 23rd highest of 25. Of 78 countries with 2023 data, 25th highest.