Browse additional economic indicators and data sets

Brunei Darussalam

Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Brunei economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.

Basic Information

Government Type: Absolute monarchy or sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)

Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Monetary Authority of Brunei Darussalam
Currency Bruneian dollars (BND)

International Reserves USD 3.4 billion (2018)

International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 14.1 billion (2018, estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) Intl$ 34.6 billion (2018, estimate)

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2007: 0.1%
2008: -2%
2009: -1.8%
2010: 2.7%
2011: 3.7%
2012: 0.9%
2013: -2.1%
2014: -2.5%
2015: -0.4%
2016: -2.5%
2017*: 1.3%
2018*: -0.2%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 32,413.9 (2018, estimate)
GDP per capita – PPP Intl$ 79,529.9 (2018, estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total 0.03% (2019, estimate)
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 1%
industry: 63.2%
services: 37.3%
(2018 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2007: 0.1%
2008: -2%
2009: -1.8%
2010: 2.7%
2011: 3.7%
2012: 0.9%
2013: -2.1%
2014: -2.5%
2015: -0.4%
2016: -2.5%
2017*: 1.3%
2018*: -0.2%

*Estimate

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2007: 0.1%
2008: -2%
2009: -1.8%
2010: 2.7%
2011: 3.7%
2012: 0.9%
2013: -2.1%
2014: -2.5%
2015: -0.4%
2016: -2.5%
2017*: 1.3%
2018*: -0.2%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s
Unemployment rate 2015: 7.7%
2016: 8.5%
2017: 9.3%
2018*: 9.3%
2019*: 9.3%

*Estimate
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2015: 3%
2016: 3%
2017: 2.8%
2018*: 2.6%
2019*: 2.8%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2015: -14.5%
2016: -21.7%
2017: -10.6%
2018*: -3.6%
2019*: -11.5%

*Estimate
Market value of publicly traded shares N/A
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 51.9% (2018)
Shares in world total merchandising export
0.03% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
0.01% (2018)
Total exports USD 7.1 billion (2018 estimate)


Export commodities Mineral fuels, organic chemicals

Total imports USD 5.7 billion (2018 estimate)


Import commodities Machinery and mechanical appliance parts, mineral fuels, motor vehicles, electric machinery


Exports – major 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)

Imports – major partners China 19.6%, Singapore 19%, Malaysia 18.8%, US 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 4.1%, UK 4%(2017)


Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD 1.1 billion (2018 estimate)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP
7.9 % (2018 estimate)
FDI inflows 2016: USD -150 million
2017: USD 460 million
2018: USD 504 million
FDI Outflows N/A
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking:

66 out of 190 countries

Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 16 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 54 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 31 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 144 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 1 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 128 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 90 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 149 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 66 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 59 out of 190 countries
Global competitiveness ranking 56 out of 141 countries

(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom Ranking: 63 / Score: 65.1 (Moderately free)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)

Population & Geographic Data

Time Zone UTC+8

Total Area 5,765 sq km

Total Population 1990: 0.25 million
2000: 0.33 million
2010: 0.39 million
2015*: 0.41 million
2020*: 0.45 million

*Estimate
Urban population as % of total population 960: 43.4%
1980: 64.9%
2000: 71.2%
2018: 77.6%
Population median age
30.5 years

Population growth rate 1.55% (2018 estimate)
Life expectancy 77.5 years (2018 estimate)
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day N/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) N/A
Freedom House rating Not Free
Political Rights: 6
Civil Liberties: 5 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)”

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed: 18.3% Mobile: 131.9% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population
94.6 % (2018)

Language & Religon

Languages Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects

Literacy Total population: 96%
Male: 97.5%
Female: 94.5%
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Religions Muslim (official) 78.8%, Christian 8.7%, Buddhist 7.8%, other (includes indigenous beliefs) 4.7% (2011 est.)

World Rankings

Population 0.45 M
Mercer Cost of living index Bandar Seri Begawan: 102nd (2019)

C02 Emissions per capita 22.23 metric tons per capita (2014)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: Brunei

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

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