Brunei People 2024, CIA World Factbook
Population
484,991 (2023 est.)
note: immigrants make up approximately 26% of the total population, according to UN data (2019)
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 sample(s):
Buku Fakta Dunia, sumber yang diperlukan untuk maklumat asas. (Malay)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Malay audio sample:
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.
Brunei is officially Muslim, and Malay is the official language. The country follows an official Malay national ideology, Malay Islamic Monarchy, which promotes Malay language and culture, Islamic values, and the monarchy. Only seven of Brunei’s native groups are recognized in the constitution and are defined as “Malay” – Brunei Malays, Belait, Kedayan, Dusun, Bisayak, Lun Bawang, and Sama-Baiau. Together they make up about 66% percent of the population and are referred to as the Bumiputera. The Bumiputera are entitled to official privileges, including land ownership, access to certain types of employment (Royal Brunei Armed Forces and Brunei Shell Petroleum), easier access to higher education, and better job opportunities in the civil service.
Brunei’s Chinese population descends from migrants who arrived when Brunei was a British protectorate (1888 and 1984). They are prominent in the non-state commercial sector and account for approximately 10% of the population. Most Bruneian Chinese are permanent residents rather than citizens despite roots going back several generations. Many are stateless and are denied rights granted to citizens, such as land ownership, subsidized health care, and free secondary and university education. Because of the discriminatory policies, the number of Chinese in Brunei has shrunk considerably in the last 50 years. Native ethnic groups that are not included in the Bumiputera are not recognized in the constitution and are not officially identified as “Malay” or automatically granted citizenship. Foreign workers constitute some quarter of the labor force.
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)
2023 population pyramid: 
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)
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: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
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.)
Gross reproduction rate
0.85 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
N/A
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: N/A
total: 99.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.4% of population
rural: 0% of population
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: N/A
rural: N/A
total: N/A
unimproved: urban: N/A
rural: N/A
total: N/A
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
14.1% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
Tobacco use
total: 16.2% (2020 est.)
male: 30% (2020 est.)
female: 2.3% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
N/A
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
54.3% (2023 est.)
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)
NOTE: The information regarding Brunei on this page is re-published from the 2024 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Brunei 2024 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Brunei 2024 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.