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.

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): (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

Land use
Agricultural land: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Forest: 72.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 25.4% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2012)

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

Population
Total: 491,900 (2024 est.)
Male: 239,140
Female: 252,760
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
Growth rate: 1.4% (2024 est.)

Languages: 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.

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 54,924/female 51,710)
15-64 years: 70.8% (male 166,289/female 182,011)
65 years and over: 7.5% (2024 est.) (male 17,927/female 19,039)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 41.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 30.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 9.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 31.4 years
Female: 33.1 years

Population growth rate: 1.4% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 15.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 3.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 76.5 years
Female: 81.3 years

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0.4% of population
Rural: 0% of population

Sanitation facility access
Total: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.2% (2024 est.); 5.2% (2023 est.); 5.2% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

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), 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)

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

Legal system: mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law
Note: in 2019, sharia penal codes came into force and apply to Muslims and partly to non-Muslims in parallel with common law codes

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
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
Election/appointment process: none; the monarchy is hereditary
Note 1: the monarch is both chief of state and head of government, as well as Minister of Finance, Defense, and Foreign Affairs and Trade
Note 2: 4 additional advisory councils appointed by the monarch are the Religious Council, Privy Council for Constitutional Issues, Council of Succession, and Legislative Council

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Legislative Council (Majlis Mesyuarat Negara)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 45 (all appointed)
Electoral system: plurality/majority
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 1/20/2023
Percentage of women in chamber: 11.4%
Expected date of next election: January 2,028

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'

National anthem
Title: 'Allah Peliharakan Sultan' (God Bless His Majesty)
Lyrics/music: Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap
History: adopted 1951

Real gdp growth rate: 4.2% (2024 est.); 1.1% (2023 est.); -1.6% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 4.2% (2024 est.); 1.1% (2023 est.); -1.6% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 28.5% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 23% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 28.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 74.3% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -58.9% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 61.7% (2024 est.)
Services: 38.7% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.7% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 233,500 (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 5.2% (2024 est.); 5.2% (2023 est.); 5.2% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 5.2% (2024 est.); 5.2% (2023 est.); 5.2% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $1.058 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $3.189 billion (2020 est.)

Exports: $11.483 billion (2024 est.); $11.573 billion (2023 est.); $14.405 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, hydrocarbons, fertilizers (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $9.11 billion (2024 est.); $9.077 billion (2023 est.); $10.099 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: crude petroleum, gold, refined petroleum, coal, cars (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 904,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 5.081 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 502.188 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 841,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 841,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 95,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 1.1 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 10.093 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.911 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 5.733 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 260.515 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 10.823 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 998,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 2.175 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 7.65 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 403.365 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 122,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 541,000 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 99% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 93,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2023 est.); 2.6% of GDP (2022 est.); 3.1% of GDP (2021 est.); 3.7% of GDP (2020 est.); 3.1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Airports: 2 (2025)

Heliports: 14 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 97 (2023)
By type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 2, other 77