Suriname’s total public debt amounted to USD 4.65 billion at the end of June 2026. The Bureau for the State Debt refutes reports that cited an amount of USD 8.7 billion and explains the different debt ratios.
The Bureau for the State Debt states that Suriname’s public debt stood at USD 4.65 billion as of June 2026. According to the bureau, this amounts to approximately SRD 175.28 billion. Administrator General Charlene van Bree Soentik says that a recently cited amount of USD 8.7 billion does not correspond to the official debt records.
According to Van Bree Soentik, the total debt consists of approximately USD 760 million in domestic debt and around USD 3.9 billion in external debt. In Surinamese dollars, this amounts to approximately SRD 28.49 billion and SRD 146.79 billion, respectively. Together, these amounts make up the total recorded debt of SRD 175.28 billion.
The size of the debt changes throughout the year due to various factors. New disbursements from previously committed loans are added to the public debt, while repayments are deducted from it. In addition, changes in exchange rates may affect the value of debts incurred in foreign currencies.
Suriname’s public debt exceeds 119 percent of GDP according to ABS
When assessing public debt, not only the absolute amount plays a role. The State Debt Act also requires the size of the debt to be measured against gross domestic product, or GDP. For this purpose, the Bureau for the State Debt must use the official GDP figures from the General Bureau of Statistics, ABS.
According to Van Bree Soentik, calculations are currently still based on the ABS figure for 2024. GDP for that year amounts to approximately SRD 146.55 billion. On that basis, the total debt ratio as of June 2026 stands at 119.6 percent of GDP. According to this calculation, domestic debt accounts for 19.4 percent and external debt for 100.2 percent.
New ABS figure for 2025 expected
The Bureau for the State Debt expects the ABS to release the GDP figure for 2025 in September. Once that figure becomes available, the calculation of the debt ratio will also change. The debt amount itself does not necessarily have to change immediately. A higher or lower GDP affects the relationship between debt and the size of the economy.
The legally established objective is for debt to eventually be reduced to a level of 60 percent of GDP. According to the Administrator General, the bureau will therefore continue to closely monitor developments and coordinate the debt. Earlier developments involving loans and debt management were also discussed in De Nationale Assemblée. Key News previously reported on the recent bond loans and rising public debt.
The same debt amount can result in a significantly different debt ratio due to a different GDP figure.
IMF calculates debt ratio at 74.5 percent
In addition to the legally prescribed ABS figure, public debt is reported monthly to, among others, the International Monetary Fund, the Central Bank of Suriname and the Ministry of Finance and Planning. A different GDP estimate is used for reporting to the IMF. It relates to 2026 and, according to the Bureau for the State Debt, amounts to approximately SRD 235.2 billion.
When Suriname’s public debt is measured against this higher estimated GDP, the debt ratio comes to 74.5 percent. Of this, 12.1 percent is attributable to domestic debt and 62.4 percent to external debt. It is still the same debt level from June 2026, but the size of the economy used is different.
Difference between debt ratios explained by GDP
The difference between the percentages of 119.6 and 74.5 therefore does not mean that two different official amounts exist for public debt. The difference arises mainly because a different GDP is used for the calculations. Under the law, the Bureau for the State Debt must use the ABS figure for the statutory debt ratio, while international reporting may use more recent estimates.
The Suriname Planning Office Foundation also produces GDP projections. According to Van Bree Soentik, these are used, among other things, by the Ministry of Finance and Planning for economic forecasts and policy preparation. The method and year of the GDP used are therefore important when interpreting percentages related to public debt.
Exchange rates affect Suriname’s public debt
Another factor is the composition of external debt. Suriname has obligations that are not all denominated in US dollars. The debt portfolio includes, among others, the Chinese renminbi, euros and Special Drawing Rights, SDRs, from the IMF. These amounts must be converted in every report.
Changes in exchange rates can therefore increase or decrease the converted value of the debt, even if Suriname does not take out a new loan that month. According to the Administrator General, the Bureau for the State Debt must therefore take exchange rate differences into account every month.
Maturities differ by loan
Loan maturities also differ. Some debts must be repaid within five years, while other agreements have terms of ten or twenty years. Under the State Debt Act, a debt may have a maximum maturity of thirty years.
How Suriname’s public debt develops in the coming years therefore depends on several factors. Besides new disbursements and repayments, economic growth, exchange rates and GDP developments play an important role. A growing economy can lower the debt ratio, while exchange rate losses or new loans can create additional pressure.
Bureau aims to return to statutory norm of 60 percent
The Bureau for the State Debt emphasizes that reducing debt to the statutory ratio of 60 percent of GDP remains an important objective. The institution therefore monitors both domestic and external obligations and reports on them to national and international bodies.
Van Bree Soentik refers to the publications of the Bureau for the State Debt for the official data. The Surinamese government has also published the explanation of the debt level in June. The official explanation of the public debt contains the figures as provided by the bureau.
