Map of Brunei | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


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

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, timber

Land use
Agricultural land: 2.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 71.8% (2018 est.)
Other: 25.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 8.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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


top of page


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: 484,991 (2023 est.)
Note: immigrants make up approximately 26% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
Growth rate: 1.43% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Bruneian(s)
Adjective: Bruneian

Ethnic groups: Malay 67.4%, Chinese 9.6%, other 23% (2021 est.)

Languages: Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects
Major-language samples:

Religions: Muslim (official) 82.1%, Christian 6.7%, Buddhist 6.3%, other 4.9% (2021 est.)

Demographic profile: 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.

Age structure
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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 39.2
Youth dependency ratio: 31.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.1
Potential support ratio: 12.4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 32 years (2023 est.)
Male: 31.1 years
Female: 32.8 years

Population growth rate: 1.43% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 79.1% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.44% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 266,682 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) (2021)
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, 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
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
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.)

Sex ratio
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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 44 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
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

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)
Male: 76.3 years
Female: 81.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 99.7% of population
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 99.9% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.4% of population
Unimproved rural: 0% of population
Unimproved total: 0.1% of population (2020)

Current health expenditure: 2.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 1.61 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 14.1% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.69 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 16.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 30% (2020 est.)
Female: 2.3% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 4.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.6%
Male: 98.3%
Female: 96.9% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 23.4% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 20.7%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 27.6%


top of page


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 "that's 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, last in 2010

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 partly to 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; Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah is also Minister of Finance, Defense, and Foreign Affairs and Trade
Elections/appointments: none; the monarchy is hereditary

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat Negara Brunei (33 seats; 20 members appointed by the sultan from ex-officio cabinet ministers, titled people, and prominent citizens in public service and various professional fields, 13 members from 4 multi-seat constituencies, and 3 ex-officio members - the speaker and first and second secretaries); members serve 5-year terms
Elections: January 2017 - appointed by the sultan
Election results: Legislative Council last appointed January 2023; composition men 30, women 4, percent of women 11.8%

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 [Zainal Talib]
Note: the NDP is Brunei’s only registered party, but does not have representation in the Legislative Council, which is appointed

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 [link]

$26.779 billion (2021 est.)
$27.212 billion (2020 est.)
$26.907 billion (2019 est.)

-1.59% (2021 est.)
1.13% (2020 est.)
3.87% (2019 est.)

$60,100 (2021 est.)
$61,600 (2020 est.)
$61,400 (2019 est.)

7.65% (2021 est.)
7.68% (2020 est.)
6.92% (2019 est.)

2.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
3% of GDP (2016 est.)

1.73% (2021 est.)
1.94% (2020 est.)
-0.39% (2019 est.)

$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.)

$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.)

$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)

Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - 1.344 (2021 est.)
1.38 (2020 est.)
1.364 (2019 est.)
1.349 (2018 est.)
1.381 (2017 est.)

2.5% of GDP (2022)
3.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
3.7% of GDP (2020 est.)
3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)
2.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Royal Brunei Armed Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force, Joint Force

Ministry of Home Affairs: Royal Brunei Police Force (2023)