Brunei

total: 93,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2023 est.)

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

.bn

percent of population: 99% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 122,000 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 26 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 582,919 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2024 est.)

chicken, eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice, bananas, beans, cucumbers/gherkins, pineapples, beef (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

revenues: $1.058 billion (2020 est.) expenditures: $3.189 billion (2020 est.)

$2.23 billion (2024 est.) $1.944 billion (2023 est.) $3.256 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

almost exclusively an oil and gas economy; high income country; expansive and robust welfare system; the majority of the population works for the government; promulgating a nationalized halal brand; considering establishment of a bond market and stock exchange

Bruneian dollars (BND) per US dollar - 1.336 (2024 est.) 1.343 (2023 est.) 1.379 (2022 est.) 1.344 (2021 est.) 1.38 (2020 est.)

$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

refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, hydrocarbons, fertilizers (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Australia 21%, Japan 17%, China 17%, Singapore 16%, Malaysia 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$15.463 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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

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

$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

crude petroleum, gold, refined petroleum, coal, cars (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Malaysia 23%, UAE 10%, China 10%, UK 10%, Australia 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

5.7% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

-0.4% (2024 est.) 0.4% (2023 est.) 3.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

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

2.8% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$36.64 billion (2024 est.) $35.163 billion (2023 est.) $34.771 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

4.2% (2024 est.) 1.1% (2023 est.) -1.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

$79,200 (2024 est.) $76,600 (2023 est.) $76,400 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$4.414 billion (2024 est.) $4.483 billion (2023 est.) $5.035 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

5.2% (2024 est.) 5.2% (2023 est.) 5.2% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 18.5% (2024 est.) male: 16.5% (2024 est.) female: 21.6% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

consumption: 841,000 metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 841,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 904,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 5.081 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 502.188 million kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

403.365 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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.)

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.)

10.823 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 998,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 2.175 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 7.65 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

air pollution, including seasonal haze from forest fires in Indonesia

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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.)

energy: 50.5 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 0.9 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 9.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 0.3 kt (2019-2021 est.)

7.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

8.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 151.5 million cubic meters (2022 est.) agricultural: 5.3 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 216,300 tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 20% (2022 est.)

total : 5,765 sq km land: 5,265 sq km water: 500 sq km

slightly smaller than Delaware

tropical; hot, humid, rainy

161 km

highest point: Bukit Pagon 1,850 m lowest point: South China Sea 0 m mean elevation: 478 m

4 30 N, 114 40 E

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

10 sq km (2012)

total: 266 km border countries (1): Malaysia 266 km

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.)

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

Southeast Asia

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm or to median line

typhoons, earthquakes, and severe flooding are rare

petroleum, natural gas, timber

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

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

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

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)

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

history: drafted 1954 to 1959, signed 29 September 1959 amendment process: 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 note: some constitutional provisions suspended since 1962 under a state of emergency, others suspended since independence in 1984

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; the name may come from the Sanskrit word bhumi , meaning "land" or "region"

chief of mission: Ambassador Caryn R. McCLELLAND (since December 2021) embassy: Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Duta, Bandar Seri Begawan, BC4115 mailing address: 4020 Bandar Seri Begawan Place, Washington DC 20521-4020 telephone: (673) 238-7400 FAX: (673) 238-7533 email address and website: ConsularBrunei@state.gov https://bn.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d'Affaires IZZATI Baharuddin (since 6 May 2025) chancery: 3520 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 237-1838 FAX: [1] (202) 885-0560 email address and website: info@bruneiembassy.org http://www.bruneiembassy.org/index.html consulate(s): New York

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

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" meaning: yellow symbolizes the sultanate, and the white and black bands stand for the chief ministers; the emblem includes a royal umbrella (the monarchy), two wings with four feathers (justice, tranquility, prosperity, and peace), two upraised hands (the government's pledge to preserve and promote the people's welfare), and the crescent moon of Islam (the state religion)

absolute monarchy or sultanate

1 January 1984 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC

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

highest court(s): 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) 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 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

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

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 2028

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

yellow, white, black

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

royal parasol

National Development Party or NDP note: the NDP is Brunei s only registered party, but does not have representation in the Legislative Council, which is appointed

18 years of age for village elections; universal

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.

the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) are responsible for ensuring the country s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as countering outside aggression, terrorism, and insurgency Brunei has a long-standing defense relationship with the UK and hosts a British Army garrison, which includes a Gurkha battalion and a jungle warfare school; Brunei also has close security ties with Singapore and hosts a Singaporean military training detachment the RBAF was formed in 1961 with British support as the Brunei Malay Regiment; "Royal" was added as an honorary title in 1965 and its current name was given in 1984 (2025)

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) or Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB): Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) (2025) note 1: the Gurkha Security Unit under the Ministry of Defense is a special guard force for the Sultan, the royal family, and the country s oil installations note 2: the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) is under the Prime Minister's Office

approximately 7,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the military's s inventory includes equipment and weapons systems from a variety of suppliers from Asia, Europe, and the US (2025)

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.)

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (2025) note: the Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) employs hundreds of Gurkhas from Nepal, the majority of whom are veterans of the British Army and the Singapore Police Force who have joined the GRU as a second career

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)

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

15.58 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.96 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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.)

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.4% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

4.4% of GDP (2016 est.) 11.4% national budget (2016 est.)

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

0.85 (2025 est.)

2.2% of GDP (2021) 6.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

3.9 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.7 deaths/1,000 live births

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.

total population: 78.9 years (2024 est.) male: 76.5 years female: 81.3 years

266,682 BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (capital) (2021) note: the boundaries of the capital city were expanded in 2007, greatly increasing the city area; the population of the capital increased tenfold

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 32.6 years (2025 est.) male: 31.4 years female: 33.1 years

noun: Bruneian(s) adjective: Bruneian

2.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

14.1% (2016)

1.89 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

total: 491,900 (2024 est.) male: 239,140 female: 252,760

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

1.37% (2025 est.)

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

total: 99.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 0.5% of population (2022 est.)

total: 14 years (2023 est.) male: 13 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 est.)

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.)

total: 17% (2025 est.) male: 31.2% (2025 est.) female: 1.9% (2025 est.)

1.73 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

stateless persons: 20,863 (2024 est.)

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List Brunei does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Brunei was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/brunei/

2 (2025)

V8

14 (2025)

total: 97 (2023) by type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 2, other 77

total ports: 5 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 2 very small: 3 ports with oil terminals: 5 key ports: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Lumut, Muara Harbor, Seria Oil Loading Terminal