Record low oil and gas prices continued to taketheir toll on Brunei’s economy in 2016. Althoughit is one of the richest countries in the world per

capita, Brunei depends on the energy industry for nearly65% of its GDP, making it sensitive to price fluctuations.Furthermore, the country’s hydrocarbon reserves are pro-jected to run out in two to three decades. With this inmind, Brunei’s economic planners intensified their effortsto diversify the economy, expanding into sectors such asagriculture, tourism, halal food manufacturing, andIslamic finance.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2013): 16.4(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000population (2013): 3.4(world avg. 8.1).

Natural increase rate per1,000 population(2013): 13.0 (world avg.11.4).

Life expectancy at birth(2012): male 76.5 years;female 80.3 years.

DemographyPopulation (2016): 424,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi190.5, persons per sq km 73.5.

Sex distribution (2015): male50.63%; female 49.37%.

Population projection: (2020)444,000; (2030) 490,000.

Major cities (2009): Bandar SeriBegawan (urbanagglomeration; 2011)210,901; Kuala Belait27,700; Seria 27,600; Tutong 21,000.

Urban-rural (2014):

Brunei

Official name: Negara BruneiDarussalam (State of BruneiDarussalam).

Form of government: monarchy (sul-tanate) with one advisory body(Legislative Council [33]1).

Head of state and government: Sultanand Prime Minister Sir Haji HassanalBolkiah Mu(izzaddin Waddaulah.

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan.Official language: Malay2.Official religion: Islam.Monetary unit: Brunei dollar (B$)3; val-

uation (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = B$1.36;1 £ = B$1.81.

Ethnic composition (2013):

Age breakdown (2010):

Religious affiliation (2011):

Area and population area population

2014Districts Capitals sq mi sq km estimate

Belait Kuala Belait 1,052 2,724 63,400Brunei and Muara Bandar Seri Begawan 220 571 295,300Temburong Bangar 504 1,304 8,900Tutong Tutong 450 1,166 44,300TOTAL 2,226 5,765 411,900

© 2017 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

World DataE N C Y C L O P Æ D I A

Britannica

National economyBudget (2009–10). Revenue: B$6,393,000,000 (tax revenue 58.5%, of

which taxes on petroleum and natural gas companies52.0%, other corporate taxes 3.9%; nontax revenue41.5%, of which dividends paid by petroleum companies24.0%, petroleum and natural gas royalties 11.4%).Expenditures: B$6,639,000,000 (current expenditure70.6%; capital expenditure 29.4%).

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2013): cassava (2014) 3,140, cucumbersand gherkins 2,167, rice (2014) 1,940, pineapples 1,170,bananas 891, pumpkins, squash, and gourds 627, spinach625, okra 436, oranges 435, chilies and peppers 378, egg-plants 363, coconuts (2014) 270, sweet potatoes (2014)270, natural rubber 243; livestock (number of live ani-mals; 2014) 7,000 goats, 4,000 sheep, 2,400 buffalo,

20,000,000 chickens; roundwood (2014) 118,957 cu m, of which fuel-wood 10%; fisheries production 4,830 (from aquaculture 17%).Mining and quarrying: other than petroleum and natural gas, noneexcept sand and gravel for construction. Manufacturing (value addedin B$’000,000; 2008): liquefied natural gas 2,628; textiles and wearingapparel 103; other manufactures 65. Energy production (consump-tion): electricity (kW-hr; 2014) 4,055,000,000 (3,766,000,000), by source(2012): fossil fuels 99.9%; renewable energy 0.1%, of which hydro-electric 0.1%; coal, none (none); crude petroleum (barrels; 2015)40,400,000 ([2012] 3,450,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 2011)625,000 (597,000); natural gas (cu m; 2015) 11,758,000,000 ([2013]2,970,000,000).

Gross national income (GNI; 2012): U.S.$15,133,000,000 (U.S.$37,320per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$72,190 per capita).

Population economically active (2014): total 203,6007; participationrates: ages 15–64, male 72.5%; female 58.3%; unemployed 2.7%, ofwhich youth (ages 15–24), n.a.

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): none.Average household size (2002): 5.6.Land use as % of total land area (2009): in temporary crops or left fal-low (2007) 0.6%, in permanent crops 0.9%, in pasture 0.6%, forestarea 72.4%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2015):

7,000 (army 70.0%, navy 14.3%, air force15.7%). British troops (November 2015)550; Singaporean troops (2008) 500.Military expenditure as percentage of GDP(2015): 3.4%; per capita expenditureU.S.$948.

Foreign trade6

Imports (2012): U.S.$4,461,900,000 (machinery andapparatus 29.0%, manufactured goods 22.4%, foodand food products 12.3%, chemicals and chemicalproducts 6.8%). Major import sources:

Exports (2012): U.S.$16,220,700,000 (crude petrole-um 48.2%, liquefied natural gas 47.5%, reexports2.3%, methanol 1.9%). Major export destinations:

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2004)8: length 19km. Roads (2010): total length1,882 mi, 3,029 km (paved80%). Vehicles (20129): pas-senger cars 132,756; trucks andbuses 11,442.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total population age15 and over literate 96.0%; males literate 97.5%;females literate 94.5%.

Health (2012): physicians 576 (1 per 694 persons);hospital beds 1,120 (1 per 357 persons); infant mor-tality rate per 1,000 live births (2010) 6.1; under-nourished population (2006–08) less than 5% oftotal population based on the consumption of aminimum daily requirement of 1,890 calories.

1Statutory number. The Legislative Council (suspended from 1984) was reinstated September 2004 andenlarged September 2005 and June 2011; all seats are nonelected. 2All official documents that must bepublished by law in Malay are also required to be issued in an official English version. 3Pegged to theSingapore dollar at a ratio of 1:1. 4In 2008, included the manufacture of liquefied natural gas(B$2,628,000,000; 12.9% of total value). 5Unemployed. 6Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 7Foreign workersaccounted for 70% of the 160,500 economically active in 2004. 8Privately owned light railway. 9January1. 10Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Department of Economic Planning and Development

www.depd.gov.bn/SitePages/Statistics.aspx• Asian Development Bank www.adb.org

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2013 2001

in value % of total labour % of labourB$’000,000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 146.3 0.7 1,994 1.3Petroleum, natural gas 10,433.5 51.8 3,954 2.5Mining and quarrying … …Manufacturing4 2,489.3 12.4 12,455 7.9Construction 690.2 3.4 12,301 7.8Public utilities 142.7 0.7 2,639 1.7Transportation and

communications 727.4 3.6 4,803 3.0Trade, hotels 743.5 3.7 20,038 12.7Finance, real estate 1,098.8 5.5 8,190 5.2Pub. admin., defense 2,528.8 12.5 79,880 50.7Services 1,157.2 5.7Other — — 11,3405 7.25

TOTAL 20,157.7 100.0 157,594 100.0

}

}

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 46310 1,08110

Landline 2015 38 90

Internet users 2009 319 798Broadband 2015 3410 8010

© 2017 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

World DataE N C Y C L O P Æ D I A

Britannica