Brunei — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Brunei: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Brunei — in Southeastern Asia, along the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia. Political status: absolute monarchy or sultanate. It covers 5,765 sq km. Terrain: flat coastal plain rises to mountains in east; hilly lowland in west. Climate: tropical; hot, humid, rainy.
| Capital | Bandar Seri Begawan |
|---|---|
| Population | 491,900 (2024 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $36.64 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $79,200 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 4.2% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | -0.4% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 5.2% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 2.8% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Exports | $11.483 billion (2024 est.) |
| Imports | $9.11 billion (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 78.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 32.6 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 79.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | absolute monarchy or sultanate |
| Independence | 1 January 1984 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Malay (Bahasa Melayu) (official), English, Chinese dialects |
Brunei’s GDP is $36.64 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $15.463 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 4.2% (2024 est.). See where Brunei ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
No single event defined Jul–Sep 2026. The country's position is the product of long-cycle forces — geography, trade, neighbours — all of which held steady.
Momentum at zero is not stagnation; it is the accurate record of a quarter without a catalyst.
- What our model rewards: public debt under 3% of GDP — room to maneuver; inflation tamed at 0.4%
Oil, Natural gas, Timber.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 100% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 403.365 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2024.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $11.483 billion (2024 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $9.11 billion (2024 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Surplus of $2.4 billion (2024), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, aquaculture, transportation |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
Hassanal Bolkiah — Sultan. Sultan and Prime Minister Sir HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
Brunei maintains 35 embassies and 4 consulates abroad. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 35 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 4 |
Source: Outbound: Lowy Institute Global Diplomacy Index 2024 (via Wikipedia 'List of countries by number of diplomatic missions').
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 161 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 2 + 14 heliports (registration prefix V8) |
| Major seaports | Bandar Seri Begawan, Kuala Belait, Lumut, Muara Harbor, Seria Oil Loading Terminal |
| Pipelines | 33 km condensate, 86 km condensate/gas, 628 km gas, 492 km oil (2013) |
Major airports
Brunei International Airport (BWN) — Bandar Seri Begawan.
Terminals
| LNG export terminals | Lumut |
|---|---|
| Oil terminals | Lumut, Seria |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | absolute monarchy |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Brunei.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Brunei — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Brunei's power score?
Brunei has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.