This is a demography of the population of Suriname, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. Most Surinamese people live in the narrow, northern coastal plain. The population is one of the most ethnically varied in the world. Each ethnic group preserves its own culture, and many institutions, including political parties, tend to follow ethnic lines. Informal relationships vary: the upper classes of all ethnic backgrounds mix freely; outside of the elite, social relations tend to remain within ethnic groupings. All groups may be found in the schools and workplace. Population According to the total population was in , compared to only 215,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 28.6%, 65% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 6.5% was 65 years or older . According to 2012 census, there were 270,629 males and 271,009 females in Suriname. Total and Percent Distribution of Population by Age (Censuses 2004 & 2012) Structure of the population Structure of the population (02.08.2004) (Census): Structure of the population (01.07.2011) (Estimates) : Vital statistics The Population Departement of the United Nations prepared the following estimates for Suriname. Births and deaths Ethnic groups The census used self-identification for ethnic classification. Amerindians are the original inhabitants of Suriname. East Indians, also known locally as Hindustanis, are those whose ancestors emigrated from northern British India in the latter part of the 19th century. Creoles are descendants from slaves from Africa. Prior to the 2004 census, mixed-race people were counted as Creoles. Their ancestors were brought to the country in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Maroons are descendants from slaves from Africa that escaped to the interior of Suriname. Their proportion has increased considerably during the past decades, from 9% in 1964 to 22% in 2012. Part of this increase is probably caused by interchanging identities of Creole and Maroon, causing a decrease in the proportion of Creole and an increase in the proportion Maroon. The Javanese are Asians from formerly Dutch-ruled Indonesia. Whites are principally descended from Dutch colonists. The current population of Suriname will be different to these census figures, as the census records residents, and notes legal visitors, but does not record illegal immigrants. According to estimates there may be as many as: 60,000 Brazilians (estimates varies between 20,000 and 80,000) from