Brunei Population
Brunei had an estimated population of 466,330 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 173rd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.01% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.78% a year.
Brunei at a glance
How Brunei's population is changing
Brunei's population is growing: +0.78% a year, which works out to about +3,623 people per year, or +10 a day. Births (13.3 per 1,000) and deaths (5.3 per 1,000) alone would give +0.80% a year; net migration removes about 0 people a year (0.00%). Roughly one in every 17,617 people on Earth lives in Brunei.
Population of Brunei since 1960
In 1960, Brunei had 88,347 people. By 2025 that was 466,330 — 5.3× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 53%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 88,347 | — |
| 1970 | 135,138 | +53.0% |
| 1980 | 186,111 | +37.7% |
| 1990 | 255,292 | +37.2% |
| 2000 | 326,424 | +27.9% |
| 2010 | 392,332 | +20.2% |
| 2020 | 447,404 | +14.0% |
| 2025 | 466,330 | +4.2% |
Brunei from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Brunei at about 2,258 people in 1800; the UN estimates 466,338 in 2025 (207× 1800) and projects 464,806 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2055 at 521,341 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 2,258 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 4,208 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 16,978 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 48,316 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 326,429 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 466,338 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 519,557 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 503,479 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 464,806 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Brunei
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 466,330. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandar Seri Begawan | 72,133 | UN urban centre | 15.47% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Sengkurong | 40,972 | GeoNames settlement | 8.79% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Mentiri | 39,324 | GeoNames settlement | 8.43% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Kuala Belait | 31,178 | GeoNames settlement | 6.69% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 5 | Tutong | 19,151 | GeoNames settlement | 4.11% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Serasa | 18,569 | GeoNames settlement | 3.98% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Liang | 16,813 | GeoNames settlement | 3.61% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Perumahan Negara Panchor | 13,358 | GeoNames settlement | 2.86% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Telisai | 13,253 | GeoNames settlement | 2.84% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Kota Batu | 12,676 | GeoNames settlement | 2.72% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Brunei compares
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Brunei | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #171 |  Maldives | 529,676 | +14% | compare → |
| #172 |  Cape Verde | 527,326 | +13% | compare → |
| #174 |  Belize | 422,924 | −9% | compare → |
| #175 |  Bahamas | 403,033 | −14% | compare → |
Compare Brunei with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand.
Explore around Brunei
Land neighbours (1)
Brunei's 1 neighbours together hold 35,977,838 people — 77.2× Brunei's population. The most populous is Malaysia (35,977,838).
In its region
Brunei is the 23rd most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 0.0% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings
Largest countries, fastest-growing, oldest populations, densest — all rankings.
Cities
Bandar Seri Begawan, Sengkurong, Mentiri, Kuala Belait, Tutong, Serasa, Liang, Perumahan Negara Panchor — all Brunei's cities on the map.
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About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.