On behalf of UNICEF Suriname, SPRI Global is currently conducting a multidimensional child poverty analysis and social protection mapping in Suriname.

Suriname is a small upper middle-income country[1] in the northern east of South America, ranking 97th out of 189 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI)[2]. Natural resources in the mineral sectors (e.g., gold and oil) are the main drivers of economic activity.[3] Out of the total population of 586,600 people, 207,000 (35%) are children and adolescents (0-19 years).[4]

The study aims to assess the current situation of children and their well-being in Suriname by: i) identifying the intensity of deprivation experienced; ii) outlining the profile of the most vulnerable children (e.g. geographical, demographic and socio-economic characteristics); iii) mapping and analysing the social protection system in the country to assess if and how existing social programs address children’s multiple deprivations, what the gaps are and formulate recommendations in terms of legislation, programs and schemes to improve the Social Protection systems and social programs. The analysis will measure multidimensional child poverty in Suriname based on the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2018 data. The survey draws a sample of 7,915 households.

At the end of May, our research team (Chris de Neubourg, Liên Boon and Chloé Van Damme) organized a workshop on the MODA methodology in Paramaribo together with UNICEF Surinam, the General Bureau of Statistics Suriname (GBS), Commissie Grensarmoedebestrijding and other stakeholders. The participants were introduced to multidimensional child poverty measurement and together they discussed the selection of dimensions and indicators with regards to child well-being that are relevant in the context of Suriname. In addition, a selected number of key interviews were carried out to gain a better understanding of the social protection system, including its challenges and opportunities.

[1] The World Bank 2021.

[2] UNDP 2020b.

[3] Government of the Republic of Suriname 2017.

[4] UNICEF Suriname 2021.