Brunei
Country in Asia
CountryScope
In brief
Population: 466.3K (2025). World rank 173 of 216; in Asia, 49 of 49. Area: 5,765 km². World rank 174 of 249; in Asia, 45 of 50. GDP per person: $32,235 (2025). World rank 54 of 210 (1 = best); in Asia, 11 of 47. From 2015 to 2025: population 422.2K → 466.3K, GDP $12.9B → $15B, and GDP per person $30,625 → $32,235. Better than all its neighbours (Malaysia): GDP per person. Worse than all its neighbours (Malaysia): life expectancy.
State
- Official name
- Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace
- Local name
- Negara Brunei Darussalam
- Capital
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Region
- Asia
- Form of government
- Absolute monarchy
- UN member
- Yes
- Head of state
- Hassanal Bolkiah I
- Head of government
- Hassanal Bolkiah I
- Independence
- January 1, 1984
- Women in parliament
- 11.4% 2025
Key figures
- Population
- 466,330 2025
- Area
- 5,765 km²
- GDP
- $15B 2025
- GDP per person
- $32,235 2025
- Life expectancy
- 75.5 years 2024
Practical information
- Languages
- Malay
- Currency
- Brunei Dollar (BND), Singapore Dollar (SGD)
- Time zones
- UTC+8
- Calling code
- +673
- Emergency numbers
- 991, 993, 995
- Driving side
- Left
- Plug types
- G
- Mains voltage
- 240 V
Territory
- Sea access
- Has a coastline
- Coastline, km
- 161
- Neighbours
- Malaysia
- Agricultural land
- 2.9% 2024
Elevation
- Highest point
- Bukit Pagon, 1,850 m
- Lowest point
- South China Sea, 0 m
- Mean elevation, m
- 478
Climate
- Average temperature in the capital, °C
- 27
- Warmest month in the capital
- May, 28°C
- Coldest month in the capital
- February, 27°C
- Precipitation, mm per year
- 2,722 2022
Population and migration
- Population density
- 80.9 per km² 2025
- Population growth per year
- +0.8% 2025
- Living in cities
- 75% 2025
- Net migration per year
- 0 2025
- Born in another country
- 25.9% 2024
Age and life expectancy
- Aged 0–14
- 20.6% 2025
- Aged 15–64
- 72.1% 2025
- Aged 65 and over
- 7.2% 2025
- Life expectancy, women
- 77.7 years 2024
- Life expectancy, men
- 73.5 years 2024
Births and deaths
- Children per woman
- 1.7 2024
- Births per 1,000 people
- 13.3 2024
- Deaths per 1,000 people
- 5.3 2024
Society
- Religions
- Muslim 82.1%, Christian 6.7%, Buddhist 6.3%, and other 4.9% (2021)
Quality of governance (100 = best)
- Rule of law, score 0–100
- 69.7 2025
- Control of corruption, score 0–100
- 68.1 2025
- Government effectiveness, score 0–100
- 70.6 2025
- Regulatory quality, score 0–100
- 72.1 2025
- Voice and accountability, score 0–100
- 40.2 2025
Size and growth
- GDP per person at purchasing power parity
- $92,430 2025
- GDP growth per year
- +0.7% 2025
Income and prices
- Income level (World Bank)
- High income
- Gross national income per person
- $34,790 2025
- Inflation
- -0.3% 2025
- Price level, USA = 100
- 35 2025
Structure and jobs
- Agriculture, share of GDP
- 1.2% 2025
- Industry, share of GDP
- 60% 2025
- Services, share of GDP
- 40.2% 2025
- Unemployment
- 5.3% 2025
- Youth unemployment, ages 15–24
- 18.2% 2025
- Women in work or seeking work
- 54.4% 2025
Trade and finance
- Exports, share of GDP
- 71.6% 2025
- Imports, share of GDP
- 52% 2025
- Current account balance, share of GDP
- +18% 2025
- Foreign direct investment, share of GDP
- +0.4% 2025
Education
- Adult literacy
- 96.1% 2011
- Primary school enrolment
- 94.8% 2024
- Secondary school enrolment
- 91.8% 2023
- Higher education enrolment
- 36.4% 2023
- Public spending on education, share of GDP
- 4.4% 2016
Healthcare
- Health spending, share of GDP
- 2.2% 2023
- Health spending per person
- $733 2023
- Out-of-pocket health spending, share of total
- 7.4% 2023
- Doctors per 1,000 people
- 1.9 2021
- Nurses and midwives per 1,000 people
- 6.6 2021
- Hospital beds per 1,000 people
- 3.6 2023
- Children vaccinated against measles
- 99% 2024
Public health
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births
- 8.6 2024
- Deaths under age 5 per 1,000 births
- 9.9 2024
- Maternal deaths per 100,000 births
- 36 2023
- Diabetes prevalence, ages 20–79
- 13.7% 2024
- Overweight adults
- 69.6% 2022
- Adults who use tobacco
- 14.5% 2024
Living conditions
- Access to safe drinking water
- 100% 2024
- Access to basic sanitation
- 100% 2024
- Access to clean cooking fuels
- 100% 2024
Safety
- Homicides per 100,000 people
- 0.5 2013
- Road deaths per 100,000 people
- 7.5 2019
- Suicides per 100,000 people
- 3.1 2021
- Political stability and absence of violence, score 0–100
- 91.9 2025
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes, tropical cyclones, and floods
Air and emissions
- Air pollution PM2.5, µg/m³
- 7.6 2023
- CO₂ emissions, tonnes per person
- 20.2 2024
- All greenhouse gases, tonnes CO₂e per person
- 25.6 2024
Nature and water
- Forest cover
- 72.1% 2024
- Protected areas
- 7.5% 2025
- Renewable fresh water, m³ per person
- 18,666 2022
- Water stress, share of fresh water withdrawn
- 3.5% 2022
Internet and communications
- Using the internet
- 96.3% 2024
- Mobile subscriptions per 100 people
- 118 2024
- Home broadband per 100 people
- 21.2 2024
- Internet domain
- .bn
Energy
- Access to electricity
- 100% 2024
- Electricity use, kWh per person
- 10,963 2024
- Renewable share of energy use
- 0% 2021
- Electricity from renewables
- 0% 2021
- Electricity from fossil fuels
- 99.9% 2024
Transport
- Air passengers per year
- 820,886 2023
- Airports
- 2 2025
Science and innovation
- Research spending, share of GDP
- 0.3% 2018
- Researchers per million people
- 506 2022
- Scientific articles per year
- 502 2023
- Patent applications by residents
- 1 2024
- High-tech share of manufactured exports
- 1.1% 2024