标签： Suriname

A landmark nationally representative survey has confirmed what many observers have suspected: social media has become the overwhelmingly dominant media platform in Suriname, reshaping how the country’s population accesses information and interacts with content. The 2024 Landelijk Perceptieonderzoek Suriname 3.0, carried out by the Suriname Institute for Research and Documentation (NIKOS), finds that 69% of the country’s adult population identifies social media as their most frequently used media platform — more than double the combined share of all traditional media: television, radio, and print newspapers.

What sets this research apart is its rigorous methodological design, which allows it to claim representative insight into Surinamese media habits. Between June 25 and July 21, researchers surveyed 1,786 Surinamese adults aged 18 and older, selected via random sampling from the country’s 2025 voter registry. Fieldwork was conducted across 49 administrative ressorten spread across nine of Suriname’s ten districts, with only the remote inland district of Sipaliwini excluded from data collection. Researchers note that the random sampling approach ensures the findings accurately reflect the attitudes and behavior of the broader Surinamese population.

Breaking down the data by age groups reveals a stark generational divide in media use. Among adults aged 18 to 39, dominance of social media is nearly complete: 88% name it as their most used medium, with television capturing just 7%, radio 4%, and print newspapers a mere 1% of this demographic. Even among the middle-aged cohort of 40 to 59-year-olds, social media retains a strong lead, with 72% identifying it as their primary platform, compared to 15% for television, 9% for radio, and 3% for print.

The media landscape looks far different for Suriname’s oldest adult population, those aged 60 and above. Even here, social media holds a tied first place at 34%, matching the share of television. Radio remains relevant for 23% of this age group, while 8% still name print newspapers as their most used medium. This split means Suriname effectively hosts two distinct media ecosystems within one society: a digital-first ecosystem for younger citizens that centers almost entirely on social platforms, and a more diversified landscape for older citizens that retains a large role for traditional broadcast and print media.

Among traditional media, television retains the strongest position nationwide, ranking second overall with 17% of adults naming it their primary medium. Radio, once the leading medium in Suriname, now holds just a 10% share nationwide, though it remains important for older audiences. Print newspapers have seen the steepest decline: just 4% of all adults, and only 1% of young adults, name it as their most used medium, with the share rising only to 8% among adults over 60.

Importantly, researchers emphasize that the findings do not mean 69% of Surinamese exclusively consume news via social media. The survey question specifically asked which medium respondents use most often, not which they use at all. The data therefore cannot be read as direct market share for news outlets, nor as evidence that traditional media are no longer used by most of the population.

The survey’s results carry major implications for Suriname’s news organizations and journalism industry. The shift confirms that reaching younger audiences is now overwhelmingly dependent on distribution through social platforms. While the core journalistic mission of providing verified, balanced, and reliable news remains unchanged, the pathway through which news reaches the public has fundamentally shifted. News outlets now face the critical challenge of maintaining a visible presence on the social platforms where their audience already engages, without sacrificing core journalistic standards of accuracy and verification to prioritize speed and broader reach.

At the same time, the data makes clear that traditional media cannot be written off entirely. Television and radio remain critical sources of information for older population segments, meaning a media strategy that focuses exclusively on either digital or traditional platforms will fail to serve large swathes of Surinamese society. The study lays bare a fundamental transformation of the country’s media landscape: the competition for audience attention in Suriname is increasingly fought on digital terrain. For Suriname’s journalism sector, the central question is no longer whether social media needs to be part of news provision, but how journalistic organizations can remain visible and relevant on these platforms without eroding the public trust that comes from reliable, ethical reporting.

As Suriname stands on the cusp of unlocking major new economic opportunities from its emerging oil and gas sector, it confronts a pressing, underrecognized threat: the potential exodus of more than half of its young working-age population, according to groundbreaking new national survey data.

The findings come from the 2026 National Perception Survey Suriname 3.0, conducted by independent research institute NIKOS on behalf of the country’s Ministry of Oil, Gas and Environment. The study set out to map the public’s visions, expectations and development priorities for the nation as it approaches 2050, and has delivered one of the most stark assessments of youth migration intentions ever recorded in the country.

Across the entire surveyed population, 36% of respondents reported they are considering leaving Suriname within the next five years to seek work, pursue education, or build a better life abroad, while 54% rule out an international move. But when broken down by age group, the data shifts dramatically: among 18 to 39-year-olds, the share of those considering emigration jumps to 54%. That figure falls to 31% for 40 to 59-year-olds, and drops to just 16% for respondents aged 60 and older, confirming that the country’s youngest generation is the most likely to weigh leaving.

The research team is careful to note that emigration intention does not guarantee all these young people will actually leave the country. Even so, the size of this group is being treated as a critical warning sign, particularly against the backdrop of the economic growth Suriname projects for the coming decade. New offshore oil and gas developments are expected to generate thousands of new jobs, attract billions in foreign investment, and open up broad-based economic opportunities across sectors — developments that will require a large, skilled domestic workforce to fully leverage.

The survey highlights a striking, counterintuitive contradiction in the data. The same young cohort that is most willing to leave Suriname is also by far the most motivated to invest in their own professional development. A remarkable 92% of 18 to 39-year-olds say they would pursue additional education or vocational training if it would increase their chances of earning a higher income. That compares to 73% of 40 to 59-year-olds and just 24% of adults over 60. Far from being uninterested in professional advancement, Suriname’s youngest generation demonstrates extraordinary enthusiasm for upskilling and building more prosperous careers.

This combination of high willingness to upskill and high willingness to emigrate creates a significant development risk for the nation. If large numbers of these motivated, skilled young people choose to build their futures abroad, Suriname could lose the exact human capital it needs to capitalize on its upcoming economic growth. The survey explicitly names this risk, noting that while the country holds enormous untapped development potential through its ambitious youth population, it now faces a serious threat of deepening brain drain.

This concern is already widely shared by the public: 22% of all survey respondents named youth talent outflow as one of the biggest long-term risks to Suriname’s development, matching the share that identified insufficient education and skills training as a top threat. Young people and highly educated respondents were far more likely to flag talent emigration as a critical problem.

The report draws a direct causal link between the two challenges: if Suriname fails to train enough qualified domestic workers and simultaneously loses a large share of its existing skilled talent to other countries, the national labor market will face dual pressure that could derail growth. During an expected period of economic expansion, a shortage of skilled workers could leave the country unable to capitalize on its new oil and gas opportunities on its own, forcing it to become far more dependent on foreign expertise and labor.

Another surprising finding defies common assumptions about why young people consider emigration: the intention to leave is not driven by widespread pessimism about Suriname’s future. In fact, the survey found that young people are far more optimistic about the country’s trajectory than older generations. Nationwide, 42% of respondents expect Suriname’s overall situation to improve in the coming years, 32% expect it to stay roughly the same, and 26% expect it to worsen. The 18 to 39-year-old age group recorded the highest levels of optimism among all demographic cohorts.

This creates a striking paradox: young Surinamese see national economic potential, are overwhelmingly willing to invest in their own skills to advance, yet more than half are still keeping the option of moving abroad open for their personal futures.

The survey’s findings go far beyond measuring migration trends; they raise fundamental questions about Suriname’s future development strategy. For policymakers, the core challenge is no longer just training young people to fill the new jobs that will come from oil, gas, and broader economic diversification. The country must also create the domestic conditions that give these young people compelling reasons to stay, build their careers, and contribute their skills, entrepreneurship and labor at home. After all, new economic opportunities alone will not drive growth if the generation meant to capitalize on them is actively considering building their futures elsewhere.

Between January and July 2025, Suriname has recorded 57 fatal road traffic casualties, according to new official data published by the country’s Road Safety Institute (VVI). Alongside these fatalities, a total of 2,259 people injured in road incidents have required emergency department (SEH) care across the nation, averaging out to nearly 11 people treated for crash-related injuries every single day. A breakdown of the fatal victims shows just how vulnerable two-wheeled road users are: 18 of the 57 people killed were moped riders, followed by 9 car drivers, 7 pedestrians, 6 vehicle passengers, and 5 bus passengers, among other groups. Geographically, the burden of fatal crashes is heavily concentrated in just two districts. The coastal district of Wanica recorded 19 fatalities, while the capital district of Paramaribo saw 18 deaths. Combined, these two districts account for almost 65% of all fatal road casualties in the country for the period measured. When looking at monthly trends, January was the deadliest month with 15 fatalities, followed by July with 12 deaths, marking two clear peak periods for fatal incidents. Purcy Landveld, VVI’s deputy director for Data, Education and Information, notes that these geographic and monthly trends mean Paramaribo and Wanica must be prioritized for targeted traffic enforcement, infrastructure upgrades, and public road safety education. The emergency department data also highlights a stark demographic gap in crash risk. Nearly 60% of all 2,259 injured patients treated for road crashes were between 15 and 34 years old, a young age group disproportionately affected by traffic incidents. Moped and motorcycle riders again make up the largest share of injured patients, accounting for nearly 59% of all emergency department registrations, with vehicle passengers following at 24%. Researchers also found that weekends carry the highest risk of injury-causing crashes: 45% of all emergency department admissions for road incidents occur between Friday and Sunday, with Sunday seeing the highest number of casualties of any day of the week. The VVI’s analysis also identified specific high-risk routes that have seen repeated fatal incidents, including Indira Gandhiweg, Garnizoenspad, and Martin Luther Kingweg. The institute emphasizes that urgent improvements to road design, street lighting, and public education on safe road behavior are needed to reduce preventable deaths and injuries on these routes. Currently, the four leading causes of fatal crashes in Suriname are loss of vehicle control, failure to yield right of way, excessive speeding, and collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists. Additional contributing factors, including alcohol impairment and driver fatigue, are still undergoing further investigation to confirm their impact on crash rates. Landveld stressed that road safety cannot be addressed by a single stakeholder: it is a shared responsibility across government agencies, civil society, and road users themselves. He called for the rapid establishment of a dedicated national road traffic authority to centrally coordinate all policy areas related to traffic management and safety. Only through cohesive, long-term structural measures, Landveld argues, can Suriname achieve a sustained reduction in the number of road crash casualties across the country.