The Sultanate of Brunei’s influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. In 2017, Brunei celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Sultan Hassanal BOLKIAH’s accession to the throne.
land: 5,265 sq km
water: 500 sq km
border countries (1): Malaysia 266 km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 478 m
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 71.8% (2018 est.)
other: 25.7% (2018 est.)
484,991 (2023 est.)
note: immigrants make up approximately 26% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
noun: Bruneian(s)
adjective: Bruneian
Malay 67.4%, Chinese 9.6%, other 23% (2021 est.)
Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects
major-language sample(s):
Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Malay)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Muslim (official) 82.1%, Christian 6.7%, Buddhist 6.3%, other 4.9% (2021 est.)
Brunei is a small, oil-rich sultanate of less than half a million people, making it the smallest country in Southeast Asia by population. Its total fertility rate – the average number of births per woman – has been steadily declining over the last few decades, from over 3.5 in the 1980s to below replacement level today at nearly 1.8. The trend is due to women’s increased years of education and participation in the workforce, which have resulted in later marriages and fewer children. Yet, the population continues to grow because of the large number of women of reproductive age and a reliance on foreign labor – mainly from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and South Asian countries – to fill low-skilled jobs.Brunei is officially Muslim, and Malay is the official language. The country follows an official Malay national ideology, Malay Islamic Monarchy, which promotes Malay language and culture, Islamic values, and the monarchy. Only seven of Brunei’s native groups are recognized in the constitution and are defined as “Malay” – Brunei Malays, Belait, Kedayan, Dusun, Bisayak, Lun Bawang, and Sama-Baiau. Together they make up about 66% percent of the population and are referred to as the Bumiputera. The Bumiputera are entitled to official privileges, including land ownership, access to certain types of employment (Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Brunei Shell Petroleum), easier access to higher education, and better job opportunities in the civil service.Brunei’s Chinese population descends from migrants who arrived when Brunei was a British protectorate (1888 and 1984). They are prominent in the non-state commercial sector and account for approximately 10% of the population. Most Bruneian Chinese are permanent residents rather than citizens despite roots going back several generations. Many are stateless and are denied rights granted to citizens, such as land ownership, subsidized health care, and free secondary and university education. Because of the discriminatory policies, the number of Chinese in Brunei has shrunk considerably in the last 50 years. Native ethnic groups that are not included in the Bumiputera are not recognized in the constitution and are not officially identified as “Malay” or automatically granted citizenship. Foreign workers constitute some quarter of the labor force.
0-14 years: 21.83% (male 54,523/female 51,334)
15-64 years: 71.07% (male 164,957/female 179,721)
65 years and over: 7.1% (2023 est.) (male 16,748/female 17,708)
total dependency ratio: 39.2
youth dependency ratio: 31.1
elderly dependency ratio: 8.1
potential support ratio: 12.4 (2021 est.)
total: 32 years (2023 est.)
male: 31.1 years
female: 32.8 years
1.43% (2023 est.)
16 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
the vast majority of the population is found along the coast in the western part of Brunei, which is separated from the eastern portion by Malaysia; the largest population concentration is in the far north on the western side of the Brunei Bay, in and around the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan
urban population: 79.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
266,682 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) (2021)
note: the boundaries of the capital city were expanded in 2007, greatly increasing the city area; the population of the capital increased tenfold
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
44 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 76.3 years
female: 81.1 years
1.74 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.85 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: NA
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.4% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0.1% of population (2020)
2.4% of GDP (2020)
1.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
14.1% (2016)
total: 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 16.2% (2020 est.)
male: 30% (2020 est.)
female: 2.3% (2020 est.)
NA
54.3% (2023 est.)
4.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.6%
male: 98.3%
female: 96.9% (2021)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2020)
no major environmental problems, but air pollution control is becoming a concern; seasonal trans-boundary haze from forest fires in Indonesia
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
agricultural land: 2.5% (2018 est.)
arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
forest: 71.8% (2018 est.)
other: 25.7% (2018 est.)
urban population: 79.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 6.86 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 7.66 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 8.4 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 216,253 tons (2016 est.)
municipal: 150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
8.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
almost exclusively an oil and gas economy; high income country; expansive and robust welfare system; the majority of the population works for the government; promulgating a nationalized halal brand; considering establishment of a bond market and stock exchange
$26.779 billion (2021 est.)
$27.212 billion (2020 est.)
$26.907 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
-1.59% (2021 est.)
1.13% (2020 est.)
3.87% (2019 est.)
$60,100 (2021 est.)
$61,600 (2020 est.)
$61,400 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$12.13 billion (2017 est.)
1.73% (2021 est.)
1.94% (2020 est.)
-0.39% (2019 est.)
agriculture: 1.2% (2017 est.)
industry: 56.6% (2017 est.)
services: 42.3% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 25% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24.8% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 32.6% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 8.5% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 45.9% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -36.8% (2017 est.)
poultry, eggs, fruit, cassava, bananas, legumes, cucumbers, rice, pineapples, beef
petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, aquaculture, transportation
-4.17% (2021 est.)
219,800 (2021 est.)
7.65% (2021 est.)
7.68% (2020 est.)
6.92% (2019 est.)
total: 23.4% (2021 est.)
male: 20.7%
female: 27.6%
NA
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: $1.058 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $3.189 billion (2020 est.)
-17.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
2.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
3% of GDP (2016 est.)
18.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
1 April - 31 March
$1.57 billion (2021 est.)
$513.713 million (2020 est.)
$893.759 million (2019 est.)
$11.202 billion (2021 est.)
$6.886 billion (2020 est.)
$7.828 billion (2019 est.)
note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.
Singapore 21%, China 20%, Japan 19%, Australia 14%, Malaysia 5% (2021)
refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, industrial hydrocarbons, industrial alcohols (2021)
$9.219 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$6.382 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$6.806 billion (2019 est.)
Singapore 18%, China 14%, Malaysia 12%, Nigeria 5%, United Arab Emirates 5%, United States 5% (2019)
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars, tug boats, valves (2019)
$3.997 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$4.273 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$3.407 billion (31 December 2018 est.)
$0 (2014)
$0 (2013)
note: public external debt only; private external debt unavailable
Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
1.344 (2021 est.)
1.38 (2020 est.)
1.364 (2019 est.)
1.349 (2018 est.)
1.381 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 1.261 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 4,140,140,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 497 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 107,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 18,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 103,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 1.1 billion barrels (2021 est.)
10,310 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
6,948 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 12,498,299,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 4,166,987,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 7,774,406,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 260.515 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
9.956 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 2.387 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 7.569 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
415.184 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,234,455 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 129.35 million (2018) mt-km
V8
1 (2021)
1
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
3 (2021)
33 km condensate, 86 km condensate/gas, 628 km gas, 492 km oil (2013)
total: 2,976 km (2014)
paved: 2,559 km (2014)
unpaved: 417 km (2014)
209 km (2012) (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong Rivers are major transport links)
total: 98 (2022)
by type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 3, other 77
major seaport(s): Muara
oil terminal(s): Lumut, Seria
LNG terminal(s) (export): Lumut
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