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 |
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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 |
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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 |
Brunei
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 |
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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) |
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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) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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