Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
20 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
93,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
state-controlled Radio Television Brunei (RTB) operates 5 channels; 3 Malaysian TV stations are available; foreign TV broadcasts are available via satellite systems; RTB operates 5 radio networks and broadcasts on multiple frequencies; British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) provides radio broadcasts on 2 FM stations; some radio broadcast stations from Malaysia are available via repeaters
Communications: Internet country code
.bn
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
96.30% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
26 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
122,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
118 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
582,919 (2023 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
chicken, eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice, bananas, beans, cucumbers/gherkins, pineapples, beef (2023)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$3.189 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$1.058 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
$3.778 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
$5.251 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
$2.157 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
$1.470 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
$1.984 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
$939.9 million (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
$893.8 million (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
$513.7 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
$1.560 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
$3.256 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
$1.944 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$2.23 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
1.3360 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
1.2512 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
1.2670 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
1.3749 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
1.3813 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
1.3809 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
1.3489 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
1.3642 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
1.3797 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
1.3438 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
1.3790 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
1.3431 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
1.3360 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, hydrocarbons, fertilizers (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$12.876 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$11.657 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$6.751 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$5.652 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$6.012 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$7.046 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$7.805 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$6.886 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$11.229 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$14.405 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$11.573 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$11.483 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
74.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
23% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
28.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-58.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
28.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
0.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
1.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
61.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
38.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$89,879 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$15.463 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$41.589 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, gold, refined petroleum, coal, cars (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$3.833 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$4.873 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$4.303 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$4.318 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$5.693 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$6.811 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$6.355 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$9.378 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$10.099 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$9.077 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$9.11 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
5.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
-0.49% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
-0.28% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
-1.26% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
1.03% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
-0.39% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
1.94% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
1.73% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
3.68% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
0.36% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
-0.39% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
233,500 (2024 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
2.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$33.851 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$26.476 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$24.234 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$26.684 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$30.701 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$31.223 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$35.347 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$34.771 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$35.163 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$36.64 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
-0.39% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
-2.48% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
1.33% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
0.05% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
3.87% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
1.13% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
-1.59% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
-1.63% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
1.13% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
4.05% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$81,226 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$62,708 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$56,680 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$61,658 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$69,354 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$69,788 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$78,249 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$81,802 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$85,033 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
0% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$3.366 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$3.487 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$3.488 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$3.407 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$4.273 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$3.997 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$4.982 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$5.035 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$4.483 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$4.414 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
6.60% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
7.41% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
4.91% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
5.19% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
5.30% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
5.18% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
21.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
16.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
18.5% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
841,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
841,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
5.081 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
904,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
502.188 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
403.365 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
3.911 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: exports
5.733 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
10.093 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
260.515 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
1.1 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
95,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
998,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
7.65 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
2.175 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
10.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
tropical; hot, humid, rainy
Environment: Environmental issues
air pollution, including seasonal haze from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment: International environmental agreements: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
2.5% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
72.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
25.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
0.9 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
50.5 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
0.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
9.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
8.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
5.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
151.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
74.90% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
216,300 tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
20% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Delaware
Geography: Area: land
5,265 sq km
Geography: Area: water
500 sq km
Geography: Coastline
161 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Bukit Pagon 1,850 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
South China Sea 0 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
478 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
4 30 N, 114 40 E
Geography: Geography - note
close to vital sea lanes through South China Sea linking Indian and Pacific Oceans; two parts physically separated by Malaysia; the eastern part, the Temburong district, is an exclave and is almost an enclave within Malaysia
Geography: Irrigated land
10 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Malaysia 266 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
266 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
2.5% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
72.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
25.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Map references
Southeast Asia
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm or to median line
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Geography: Population distribution
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
Geography: Terrain
flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west
Government: Administrative divisions
4 districts ( daerah-daerah , singular - daerah ); Belait, Brunei dan Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Government: Capital: etymology
named in 1970 after Sultan Omar Ali SAIFUDDIEN III (1914-1986), who adopted the title of "Seri Begawan" (approximately meaning "honored lord") when he abdicated in 1967; "bandar" means "city" or "port" in Malay; the capital had previously been called Bandar Brunei (Brunei City)
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
4 53 N, 114 56 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
the father must be a citizen of Brunei
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
12 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the monarch; passage requires submission to the Privy Council for Legislative Council review and finalization takes place by proclamation; the monarch can accept or reject changes to the original proposal provided by the Legislative Council
Government: Constitution: history
drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Brunei
Government: Country name: etymology
derivation of the name is unclear; the name may come from the Sanskrit word bhumi , meaning "land" or "region"
Government: Country name: local long form
Negara Brunei Darussalam
Government: Country name: local short form
Brunei
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador Caryn R. McCLELLAND (since December 2021)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
ConsularBrunei@state.gov https://bn.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Duta, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
(673) 238-7533
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
4020 Bandar Seri Begawan Place, Washington DC 20521-4020
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
(673) 238-7400
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires IZZATI Baharuddin (since 6 May 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s)
New York
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
info@bruneiembassy.org http://www.bruneiembassy.org/index.html
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 885-0560
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 237-1838
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
none; the monarchy is hereditary
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
Government: Flag
description: yellow with a diagonal white band and second below it in black, both starting from the upper left; the national emblem in red is at the center; the state motto, "Always render service with God's guidance," appears in yellow Arabic script on the emblem's crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads "Brunei, the Abode of Peace" meaning: yellow symbolizes the sultanate, and the white and black bands stand for the chief ministers; the emblem includes a royal umbrella (the monarchy), two wings with four feathers (justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace), two upraised hands (the government's pledge to preserve and promote the people's welfare), and the crescent moon of Islam (the state religion)
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC
Government: International organization participation
ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, C, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court (consists the Court of Appeals and the High Court)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch to serve until age 65, and older if approved by the monarch; Sharia Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
Intermediate Court; Magistrates' Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts
Government: Legal system
mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law
Government: Legislative branch: electoral system
plurality/majority
Government: Legislative branch: expected date of next election
January 2028
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
unicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Legislative Council (Majlis Mesyuarat Negara)
Government: Legislative branch: most recent election date
1/20/2023
Government: Legislative branch: number of seats
45 (all appointed)
Government: Legislative branch: percentage of women in chamber
11.4%
Government: Legislative branch: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch: term in office
5 years
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1951
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap
Government: National color(s)
yellow, white, black
Government: National holiday
National Day, 23 February (1984)
Government: National symbol(s)
royal parasol
Government: Political parties
National Development Party or NDP
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age for village elections; universal
Introduction: Background
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. Internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy subsequently brought on a period of decline. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries, and in 2017, the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of Sultan Hassanal BOLKIAH’s accession to the throne. Brunei has one of the highest per-capita GDPs in the world, thanks to extensive petroleum and natural gas fields.
Military and Security: Military - note
the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) are responsible for ensuring the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as countering outside aggression, terrorism, and insurgency Brunei has a long-standing defense relationship with the UK and hosts a British Army garrison, which includes a Gurkha battalion and a jungle warfare school; Brunei also has close security ties with Singapore and hosts a Singaporean military training detachment the RBAF was formed in 1961 with British support as the Brunei Malay Regiment; "Royal" was added as an honorary title in 1965 and its current name was given in 1984 (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) or Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB): Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 7,000 active Armed Forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the military's s inventory includes equipment and weapons systems from a variety of suppliers from Asia, Europe, and the US (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
3.28% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
3.54% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
2.87% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
2.64% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
3.08% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
3.63% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
3.24% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
2.61% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
2.98% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
3.58% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
21.7% (male 54,924/female 51,710)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
70.8% (male 166,289/female 182,011)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
7.5% (2024 est.) (male 17,927/female 19,039)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
0.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
15.58 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
2.23% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
3.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
10.6 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
9.4 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
41.2 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
30.6 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 0% of population
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 0.4% of population
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
4.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
11.4% national budget (2016 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
4.43% (2016 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Malay 67.4%, Chinese 9.6%, other 23% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
0.85 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
2.2% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
6.4% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
3.6 beds/1,000 population (2023 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
7.7 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Malay) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
77.7 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
73.5 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
96.09% (2011 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
266,682 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) (2021)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
33.1 years
People and Society: Median age: male
31.4 years
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Bruneian
People and Society: Net migration rate
2.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
14.1% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
1.89 physicians/1,000 population (2021)
People and Society: Population
462,721 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
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
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.37% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
252,760
People and Society: Population: male
239,140
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 99.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
14 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
13 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
14 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.91 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.94 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
1.9% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
31.2% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
17% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
74.90% (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
20,863 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — Brunei does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Brunei was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/brunei/
Transportation: Airports
2 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
V8
Transportation: Heliports
14 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
general cargo 18, oil tanker 2, other 77
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
97 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Lumut, Muara Harbor, Seria Oil Loading Terminal
Transportation: Ports: large
0
Transportation: Ports: medium
0
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
5
Transportation: Ports: small
2
Transportation: Ports: total ports
5 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
3
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.