Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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. 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.


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Location: Southeastern Asia, along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia

Geographic coordinates: 4 30 N, 114 40 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 5,765 km²
Land: 5,265 km²
Water: 500 km²
Rank: 172
Comparative: slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 266 km
Border countries: (1) Malaysia 266 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy

Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west

Elevation
Mean elevation: 478 m
Lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
Highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use
Agricultural land: 2.5% (2011 est.)
Forest: 71.8% (2011 est.)
Other: 25.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

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


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Population: 464,478 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 173
Growth rate: 1.51% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 69
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Bruneian(s)
Adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups: Malay 65.7%, Chinese 10.3%, other 24% (2016 est.)

Languages: Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects

Religions: Muslim (official) 78.8%, Christian 8.7%, Buddhist 7.8%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 4.7% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.41% (male 53,653/female 50,446)
15-24 years: 16.14% (male 37,394/female 37,559)
25-54 years: 47.21% (male 103,991/female 115,291)
55-64 years: 8.34% (male 19,159/female 19,585)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 13,333/female 14,067) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 38.7
Youth dependency ratio: 31
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.7
Potential support ratio: 12.9 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 31.1 years
Male: 30.5 years
Female: 31.8 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 116

Population growth rate: 1.51% (2020 est.)
Rank: 69

Birth rate: 16.5 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 103

Death rate: 3.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 215

Net migration rate: 2.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 41

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 78.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.66% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 241,000 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) (2011)
Population note: the boundaries of the capital city were expanded in 2007, greatly increasing the city area; the population of the capital increased tenfold

Environment
Current issues: no major environmental problems, but air pollution control is becoming a concern; seasonal trans-boundary haze from forest fires in Indonesia
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.4 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.1 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 141

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.9 years
Male: 75.5 years
Female: 80.4 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 70

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 158

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source
Total:

Current health expenditure: 2.4% (2017)

Physicians density: 1.61 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.1% (2016)
Rank: 129

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 9.6% (2009)
Rank: 65

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 81

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.2%
Male: 98.1%
Female: 93.4% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2019)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Brunei Darussalam
Conventional short form: Brunei
Local long form: Negara Brunei Darussalam
Local short form: Brunei
Etymology: derivation of the name is unclear; according to legend, MUHAMMAD SHAH, who would become the first sultan of Brunei, upon discovering what would become Brunei exclaimed Baru nah, which roughly translates as there or thats it

Government type: absolute monarchy or sultanate

Capital
Name: Bandar Seri Begawan
Geographic coordinates: 4 53 N, 114 56 E
Time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: named in 1970 after Sultan Omar Ali SAIFUDDIEN III (1914-1986; 'The Father of Independence') who adopted the title of 'Seri Begawan' (approximate meaning 'honored lord') upon his abdication in 1967; 'bandar' in Malay means 'town' or 'city'; the capital had previously been called Bandar Brunei (Brunei Town)

Administrative divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei dan Muara, Temburong, Tutong

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1984 (from the UK)

National holiday: National Day, 23 February (1984); note - 1 January 1984 was the date of independence from the UK, 23 February 1984 was the date of independence from British protection; the Sultan's birthday, 15 June

Constitution
History: drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959; note - some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a State of Emergency, others suspended since independence in 1984
Amendments: 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; amended several times

Legal system: mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; note - in April 2019, the full sharia penal codes came into force and apply to Muslims and non-Muslims in parallel with present common law codes

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Brunei
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 12 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age for village elections; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967); note - the monarch is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed and presided over by the monarch; note - 4 additional advisory councils appointed by the monarch are the Religious Council, Privy Council for constitutional issues, Council of Succession, and Legislative Council
Electionsappointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (36 seats; members appointed by the sultan including 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries; members appointed for 5-year terms)
Elections: appointed by the sultan
Election results: NA; composition - men 33, women 3, percent of women 8.3%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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); note - Brunei has a dual judicial system of secular and sharia (religious) courts; the Judicial Committee of Privy Council (in London) serves as the final appellate court for civil cases only
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
Subordinate courts: Intermediate Court; Magistrates Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts

Political parties and leaders: National Development Party or NDP [YASSIN Affendi]
Note: Brunei National Solidarity Party or PPKB [Abdul LATIF bin Chuchu] and People's Awareness Party or PAKAR [Awang Haji MAIDIN bin Haji Ahmad] were deregistered in 2007; parties are small and have limited activity

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Serbini ALI (since 28 January 2016)
In the us chancery: 3,520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Emily M. FLECKNER (since 20 August 2020)
From the us telephone: [673] 238-4,616
From the us embassy: Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Duta, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4,115
From the us mailing address: Unit 4,280, Box 40, FPO AP 96,507; P.O. Box 2,991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8,675, Negara Brunei Darussalam
From the us FAX: [673] 238-4,604

Flag description: yellow with two diagonal bands of white (top, almost double width) and black starting from the upper hoist side; the national emblem in red is superimposed at the center; yellow is the color of royalty and symbolizes the sultanate; the white and black bands denote Brunei's chief ministers; the emblem includes five main components: a swallow-tailed flag, the royal umbrella representing the monarchy, the wings of four feathers symbolizing justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace, the two upraised hands signifying the government's pledge to preserve and promote the welfare of the people, and the crescent moon denoting Islam, the state religion; the state motto 'Always render service with God's guidance' appears in yellow Arabic script on the crescent; a ribbon below the crescent reads 'Brunei, the Abode of Peace'

National symbols: royal parasol; national colors: yellow, white, black

National anthem
Name: Allah Peliharakan Sultan (God Bless His Majesty)
Lyricsmusic: Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap
Note: adopted 1951

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 162

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 10

Gross national saving:
Rank: 3

Gdp composition by end use
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.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 56.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 42.3% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, vegetables, fruits; chickens, water buffalo, cattle, goats, eggs

Industries: petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, aquaculture, transportation

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (2017 est.)
Rank: 142

Labor force: 203,600 (2014 est.)
Rank: 168
By occupation agriculture: 4.2%
By occupation industry: 62.8%
By occupation services: 33% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 109

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 2.245 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 4.345 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -17.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 218

Taxes and other revenues: 18.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 158

Public debt:
Rank: 207

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 16

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 40

Exports:
Rank: 113
Partners: Japan 27.8%, South Korea 12.4%, Thailand 11.5%, Malaysia 11.3%, India 9.3%, Singapore 7.7%, Switzerland 5%, China 4.7% (2017)
Commodities: mineral fuels, organic chemicals

Imports:
Rank: 153
Commodities: machinery and mechanical appliance parts, mineral fuels, motor vehicles, electric machinery
Partners: China 19.6%, Singapore 19%, Malaysia 18.8%, US 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 4.1%, UK 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 105

Debt external:
Note: public external debt only; private external debt unavailable
Rank: 204

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 4.014 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 127
Consumption: 3.771 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 129
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 111
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 129
Installed generating capacity: 821,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 134
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 5
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 56
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 161
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 179

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 100,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 42
Crude oil exports: 127,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 33
Crude oil imports: 160 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 82
Crude oil proven reserves: 1.1 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 39

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 10,310 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 100
Products consumption: 18,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 144
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 135
Products imports: 6,948 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 159

Natural gas
Production: 12.74 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 38
Consumption: 3.936 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 66
Exports: 8.268 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 23
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 97
Proven reserves: 260.5 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 39

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 10.04 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 107

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 91,415
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19.98 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 141
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 588,616
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128.65 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 171

Telephone system

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

Internet
Country code: .bn
Users total: 426,234
Users percent of population: 94.6% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 157

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 49,452
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2018 est.)
Rank: 135


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 21

Military and security forces: Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Royal Brunei Land Force, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; non-Malays are ineligible to serve; recruits from the army, navy, and air force all undergo 43-week initial training (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
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
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: V8 (2016)

Airports: 1 (2020)
Rank: 215
With paved runways total: 1 (2019)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: 33 km condensate, 86 km condensate/gas, 628 km gas, 492 km oil (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 2,976 km (2014)
Paved: 2,559 km (2014)
Unpaved: 417 km (2014)
Rank: 162

Waterways: 209 km
Note: (navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait Brunei and Tutong Rivers are major transport links) (2012)
Rank: 96

Merchant marine
Total: 104
By type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 2, other 84 (2019)
Rank: 89

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Muara
Oil terminal: Lumut, Seria
LNG terminal: Lumut


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Disputes international: per Letters of Exchange signed in 2009, Malaysia in 2010 ceded two hydrocarbon concession blocks to Brunei in exchange for Brunei's sultan dropping claims to the Limbang corridor, which divides Brunei; nonetheless, Brunei claims a maritime boundary extending as far as a median with Vietnam, thus asserting an implicit claim to Louisa Reef

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 20,863 (2019); note - thousands of stateless persons, often ethnic Chinese, are permanent residents and their families have lived in Brunei for generations; obtaining citizenship is difficult and requires individuals to pass rigorous tests on Malay culture, customs, and language; stateless residents receive an International Certificate of Identity, which enables them to travel overseas; the government is considering changing the law prohibiting non-Bruneians, including stateless permanent residents, from owning land

Illicit drugs: drug trafficking and illegally importing controlled substances are serious offenses in Brunei and carry a mandatory death penalty