HM Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah
The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam

I am pleased to welcome you all to the ‘Commonwealth of Nations’ website where you can find out more about Brunei Darussalam, the ‘Abode of Peace’.

A small nation located on the northern shore of the island of Borneo, Brunei Darussalam has been privileged to be a member of the Commonwealth since the resumption of our independence on 1 January 1984.

We place great value on our membership and appreciate the benefits we receive from its programmes. These are particularly helpful to us as we prepare to diversify our economy from its traditional oil and gas sectors.

We welcome overseas investment aimed at establishing business ventures in Brunei Darussalam and believe we offer an extremely favourable environment for business partners.

We invite all visitors to explore our land of unspoiled natural beauty and our rich cultural heritage.

Brunei Darussalam in the Commonwealth

did you know?

• Brunei Darussalam became a member of the Commonwealth in 1984
• Brunei Darussalam became an independent country on the 1st of January 1984
• Brunei Darussalam has taken part in the Commonwealth Games since 1990
• Brunei Darussalam is a monarchy
• Scholarships and fellowships are awarded by Brunei Darussalam to citizens of other Commonwealth countries under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
• The country is enclosed by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, dividing it in two, the larger part of the country lying to the west. Both parts have a northern coastline – totalling 161km – on the South China Sea. Mountains rise in the east to the highest point of some 1,800m
• Price increases have been minimal in Brunei Darussalam with 0.8% average annual inflation (CPI) over the period 2003-2007. Kiribati is the only country with a lower inflation rate in the Commonwealth with 0% average inflation

Commonwealth meetings hosted

• 2003 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting

Commonwealth Projects

Development of Marketing Services for SME (2007/08)
This Commonwealth funded project strengthened the capacity of the Entrepreneur and Business Development Unit (EDBU) within the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources to facilitate the growth and development of the Brunei SME sector. It collaborated with industries, sectors, products and services that provided profit opportunities for SMEs and assisted the EBDU to design and deliver marketing support services so that Brunei SMEs can use these opportunities to improve their productivity, innovation and overall performance. A Market Business Development Strategy programme was introduced.

Population

Total area: 5,765 sq. km

Population in thousands (2010): 399

Population density (2010): 69 per sq. km

Proportion of population under 18 (2010): 31.1%

Proportion of population over 60 (2010): 5.6%

Proportion of population living in urban areas (2010): 76%

Economy

GNI in thousands (2010): US$10,732,435

GNI per capita (2010): US$26,750

GDP average annual growth (2006-10): 0.7%

Inflation, average annual (2006-10) : 0.9%

Education

Proportion of pupils completing primary school (2009): 96.1%

Adult literacy rate: 95.2%

Gross enrolment ratio all levels (2007-10): 17.2%

Primary pupil-teacher ratio (2007-10): 11

Secondary pupil-teach ratio (2007-10): 10

Public spending on education (2007-10): 2.0%

Gross tertiary enrolment ratio (2007-10): 17.2%

Health

Under 5 mortality per 1,000 live births (2010): 7

Life expectancy (2010): 78

Public spending on health per capita (2009): US$ 791

Public spending on health as a proportion of total public expenditure (2009): 3%

Medical doctors per 100,000 people (latest data): 142

Nurses and midwives per 100,000 people (latest data): 488

Environment

CO2 emissions per capita (2008): 27.0 tonnes

Overall change in annual CO2 emissions (1990-2008): 65.0%

Forest area as a proportion total land area: 72.1%

Overall deforestation since 1990 (2008): -8.0%

Energy use per capita (2007-09): 7,190kg of oil equivalent

Electric power consumption per capita (2006-09): 8,662 kilowatt-hours

ICTs

Landline telephones per 1,000 people (2010): 200

Cumulative growth/decline in landline telephones (2005-10):  -4.9%

PCs per 1,000 people (2009): 89

Mobile subscribers per 1,000 people (2010): 1,090

Overall growth in mobile subscribers (2005-10): 86.8%

Internet users per 1,000 (2010): 500