Largest Cities and Urban Communes by Population in Suriname

These figures are from the 2012 census, 14 years old.

27 cities and urban communes in Suriname, ranked by population at the census of August 13, 2012 (by General Bureau of Statistics, Suriname).

RankCity or Urban CommunePopulation
1Paramaribo240,924
2Koewarasan27,713
3De Nieuwe Grond26,161
4Lelydorp18,663
5Houttuin15,656
6Kwatta14,151
7Nieuw Nickerie12,818
8Meerzorg12,405
9Moengo10,834
10Saramacca Polder10,217
11Para Noord9,703
12Westelijke Polders8,616
13Smal-Kalden - ParanamPara Oost8,016
14Oostelijke Polders7,153
15Tamanredjo6,601
16OnverwachtPara Zuid6,113
17Jarikaba5,963
18Domburg5,661
19Nieuw Amsterdam5,650
20MariënburgAlkmaar5,561
21Albina5,247
22Brownsweg4,793
23BrokopondoCentrum4,482
24Wageningen2,937
25Groningen2,818
26Groot Henar2,709
27Totness2,150

Source: General Bureau of Statistics, Suriname (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff.

Why don't these match official city populations?Official figures typically count only the population within administrative boundaries. UN urban area figures cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.

Tokyo

33,338,852

Urban area

9,953,160

23 wards

Essen

2,709,375

Urban area

573,618

City of Essen

Ankara

3,630,865

Urban area

5,186,002

Metropolitan municipality

What counts as an urban area? The UN uses satellite imagery to map built-up land, and treats each continuous stretch of built-up land as an urban area. This means that urban areas can extend beyond official city boundaries, and may include multiple cities and towns within a single urban area.

Can an urban area be smaller than its city? Yes. While most cities have urban areas larger than their administrative boundaries, some cities have extensive administrative limits that include sparsely populated areas.

1 urban area in Suriname with 50,000 or more inhabitants, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation Estimate (2026)Yearly ChangeLand Area (km²)Density (P/km²)World RankProjections (2030)Projections (2050)
1Paramaribo255,240+1.04%952,6872,315265,877292,259

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.

See also