Location:
Southeastern Asia, along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Area:
total:5,765 sq km
land:5,265 sq km
water:500 sq km
country comparison to the world:173
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries:
total:266 km
border countries (1):Malaysia 266 km
Coastline:
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:12nm
exclusive economic zone:200nm 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
elevation extremes:0 mlowest point: South China Sea
1850 highest point: Bukit Pagon
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use:
agricultural land:2.5%(2011 est.)
arable land:0.8%(2011 est.)/permanent crops:1.1%(2011 est.)/permanent pasture:0.6%(2011 est.)
forest:71.8%(2011 est.)
other:25.7%(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:
typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare
Environment - current issues:
no major environmental problems, but air pollution control is becoming a concern; seasonal trans-boundary haze from forest fires in Indonesia
Environment - international agreements:
party to:Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements
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:
450,565(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:174
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.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:22.82%(male 52,995 /female 49,836)
15-24 years:16.8%(male 37,707 /female 37,985)
25-54 years:46.9%(male 100,740 /female 110,596)
55-64 years:8.3%(male 18,859 /female 18,551)
65 years and over:5.17%(male 11,336 /female 11,960)(2018 est.)
population pyramid:![\"population](\"/attachments/images/thumb/BX_popgraph.bmp?1538604940\")
East Asia/Southeast Asia
:: BruneiPrint This is the population pyramid for Brunei. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:38.4(2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio:32.8(2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio:5.7(2015 est.)
potential support ratio:17.6(2015 est.)
Median age:
Population growth rate:
1.55%(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:69
Birth rate:
16.9 births/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:106
Death rate:
3.7 deaths/1,000 population(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:214
Net migration rate:
2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:39
Urbanization:
urban population:77.6% of total population(2018)
rate of urbanization:1.66% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
241,000 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital)(2011)
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(2017 est.)
0-14 years:1.06 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
15-24 years:0.99 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
25-54 years:0.92 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
55-64 years:1.04 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
65 years and over:0.95 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
total population:0.98 male(s)/female(2017 est.)
Maternal mortality rate:
23 deaths/100,000 live births(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:126
Infant mortality rate:
total:9.3 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
male:11.1 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
female:7.5 deaths/1,000 live births(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:141
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:77.5 years(2018 est.)
male:75.2 years(2018 est.)
female:80 years(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:71
Total fertility rate:
1.77 children born/woman(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:156
Health expenditures:
2.6% of GDP(2014)
country comparison to the world:186
Physicians density:
1.75 physicians/1,000 population(2015)
Hospital bed density:
2.7 beds/1,000 population(2015)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
14.1%(2016)
country comparison to the world:129
Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
9.6%(2009)
country comparison to the world:65
Education expenditures:
4.4% of GDP(2016)
country comparison to the world:98
Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write(2015 est.)
total population:96%(2015 est.)
male:97.5%(2015 est.)
female:94.5%(2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:15 years(2015)
male:14 years(2015)
female:15 years(2015)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:25.4%(2014 est.)
male:23.5%(2014 est.)
female:28.1%(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:44
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)
Administrative divisions:
4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei and Muara, Temburong, Tutong
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 protectionthe 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(2017)
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 1984, 2004, 2011(2017)
Legal system:
mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law; note - in May 2014, the first of three phases of sharia-based penal codes was instituted, which applies to Muslims and non-Muslims and exists in parallel to the existing common law-based code
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
Judicial branch:
highest courts:Supreme Court (consists of Court of Appeal and High Court, each with a chief justice and 2 judges); Sharia Court of Appeal (consists of judges appointed by the monarch); 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 of Appeal judges appointed by the monarch for life
subordinate courts:Intermediate Court; Magistrate's Courts; Juvenile Court; small claims courts; lower sharia courts
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
elections/appointments: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%
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)
chancery:3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:[1] (202) 237-1838
FAX:[1] (202) 885-0560
consulate(s):New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Craig B. ALLEN (since 9 March 2015)
embassy:Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Datu, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115
mailing address:Unit 4280, Box 40, FPO AP 96507; P.O. Box 2991, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8675, Negara Brunei Darussalam
telephone:[673] 238-4616
FAX:[673] 238-4604
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 symbol(s):
royal parasol; national colors: yellow, white, black
National anthem:
name:\"Allah Peliharakan Sultan\" (God Bless His Majesty)
lyrics/music:Pengiran Haji Mohamed YUSUF bin Pengiran Abdul Rahim/Awang Haji BESAR bin Sagap
Economy - overview:
Brunei is an energy-rich sultanate on the northern coast of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Brunei boasts a well-educated, largely English-speaking population; excellent infrastructure; and a stable government intent on attracting foreign investment. Crude oil and natural gas production account for approximately 65% of GDP and 95% of exports, with Japan as the primary export market.
Per capita GDP is among the highest in the world, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic hydrocarbon production. Bruneian citizens pay no personal income taxes, and the government provides free medical services and free education through the university level.
The Bruneian Government wants to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbon exports to other industries such as information and communications technology and halal manufacturing, permissible under Islamic law. Brunei’s trade increased in 2016 and 2017, following its regional economic integration in the ASEAN Economic Community, and the expected ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$33.87 billion(2017 est.)
$33.42 billion(2016 est.)
$34.27 billion(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:128
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.13 billion(2017 est.)(2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.3%(2017 est.)
-2.5%(2016 est.)
-0.4%(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:178
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$78,900(2017 est.)
$79,000(2016 est.)
$82,200(2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world:9
Gross national saving:
47.5% of GDP(2017 est.)
50.1% of GDP(2016 est.)
51.9% of GDP(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: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.)
country comparison to the world:142
Labor force:
203,600(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world:170
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:4.2%
industry:62.8%
services:33%(2008 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.9%(2017 est.)
6.9%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:102
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:NA
highest 10%:NA
Budget:
revenues:2.245 billion(2017 est.)
expenditures:4.345 billion(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
18.5% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:158
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-17.3% (of GDP)(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:218
Public debt:
2.8% of GDP(2017 est.)
3% of GDP(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:207
Fiscal year:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.2%(2017 est.)
-0.7%(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:9
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5%(31 December 2017 est.)
5.5%(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:133
Stock of narrow money:
$3.387 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$3.232 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:117
Stock of broad money:
$3.387 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$3.232 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:123
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.665 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$4.066 billion(31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:134
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Current account balance:
$2.021 billion(2017 est.)
$1.47 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:41
Exports:
$5.885 billion(2017 est.)
$5.023 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:104
Exports - 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)
Exports - commodities:
mineral fuels, organic chemicals
Imports:
$2.998 billion(2017 est.)
$2.658 billion(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:148
Imports - commodities:
machinery and mechanical appliance parts, mineral fuels, motor vehicles, electric machinery
Imports - 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:
$3.488 billion(31 December 2017 est.)
$3.366 billion(31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:105
Debt - external:
$0(2014)
$0(2013)
note: public external debt only; private external debt unavailable
country comparison to the world:204
Exchange rates:
Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar -
1.394(2017 est.)
1.3814(2016 est.)
1.3814(2015 est.)
1.3749(2014 est.)
1.267(2013 est.)
Electricity access:
population without electricity:104,788(2012)
electrification - total population:76%(2012)
electrification - urban areas:79%(2012)
electrification - rural areas:67%(2012)
Electricity - production:
4.014 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:127
Electricity - consumption:
3.771 billion kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:129
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:111
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:129
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
821,000 kW(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:134
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:5
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:56
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:161
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:179
Crude oil - production:
100,600 bbl/day(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:43
Crude oil - exports:
127,400 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:33
Crude oil - imports:
160 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:82
Crude oil - proved reserves:
1.1 billion bbl(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:39
Refined petroleum products - production:
10,310 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:100
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
18,000 bbl/day(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:144
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:135
Refined petroleum products - imports:
6,948 bbl/day(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world:159
Natural gas - production:
12.74 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:38
Natural gas - consumption:
3.936 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:66
Natural gas - exports:
8.268 billion cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:23
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:97
Natural gas - proved reserves:
260.5 billion cu m(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world:39
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
10.04 million Mt(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:107
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:74,213(July 2016 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:17(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:148
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:544,732(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:123(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:170
Telephone system:
general assessment:service throughout the country is good; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US; while fixed-line is slowing down, mobile broadband has taken over in the advancement in the telecoms access market; broadband penetration slow to moderate growth predicted over the next five years to 2023(2017)
domestic:every service available; 17 per 100 fixed-line, 123 per 100 mobile-cellular(2017)
international:country code - 673; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3 optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; the Asia-America Gateway submarine cable network provides new links to Asia and the US; the South-East Asia Japan Cable System linking Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Philipines and Thailand; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)(2017)
Broadcast media:
Internet country code:
Internet users:
total:306,000(July 2016 est.)
percent of population:71.2%(July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world:161
Broadband - fixed subscriptions:
total:41,209(2017 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:9(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world:134
National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers:1(2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers:10(2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:1,150,003(2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:115.147 millionmt-km(2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
Airports:
1(2013)
country comparison to the world:216
Airports - with paved runways:
total:1(2017)
over 3,047 m:1(2017)
Heliports:
Pipelines:
33 km condensate, 86 km condensate/gas, 628 km gas, 492 km oil(2013)
Roadways:
total:2,976 km(2014)
paved:2,559 km(2014)
unpaved:417 km(2014)
country comparison to the world:166
Waterways:
209 km(navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m; the Belait, Brunei, and Tutong Rivers are major transport links)(2012)
country comparison to the world:96
Merchant marine:
total:106(2018)
by type:general cargo 20, LNG tanker 5, other 81(2018)
country comparison to the world:82
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):Muara
oil terminal(s):Lumut, Seria
LNG terminal(s) (export):Lumut