GeoRealityMatch
Stunning view of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque reflecting in the water at sunset in Brunei.Exterior view of Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque showcasing its stunning architecture in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Brunei

Asia · South-Eastern Asia

Affordable cost of livingVery high development

Incomes are high, and essential health services reach most people.

Safety
Safety index
70.6Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferHighNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes above the median country

GNI per person
$34,790national income per person, US dollarsVery high
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
15.5New York = 100ModerateNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person fell 7% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and fell 23% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$50K$100K$92,430 PPP$32,235Inflation, % a year4%0200620102015202020252006, $34,675 a person, $86,114 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2007, $36,217 a person, $83,693 at PPP, inflation 1%2008, $42,157 a person, $80,477 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2009, $30,946 a person, $77,957 at PPP, inflation 1%2010, $34,938 a person, $79,543 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2011, $46,383 a person, $82,735 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2012, $46,969 a person, $87,256 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2013, $44,003 a person, $83,237 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2014, $41,027 a person, $81,226 at PPP, inflation -0.2%2015, $30,625 a person, $62,708 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2016, $26,663 a person, $56,680 at PPP, inflation -0.3%2017, $28,024 a person, $61,658 at PPP, inflation -1.3%2018, $30,988 a person, $65,149 at PPP, inflation 1%2019, $30,427 a person, $69,354 at PPP, inflation -0.4%2020, $26,834 a person, $69,788 at PPP, inflation 1.9%2021, $31,007 a person, $78,249 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2022, $36,633 a person, $81,789 at PPP, inflation 3.7%2023, $32,891 a person, $85,103 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2024, $33,153 a person, $90,010 at PPP, inflation -0.4%2025, $32,235 a person, $92,430 at PPP, inflation -0.3%$0$50K$100KInflation, % a year4%0200620102015202020252006, $34,675 a person, $86,114 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2007, $36,217 a person, $83,693 at PPP, inflation 1%2008, $42,157 a person, $80,477 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2009, $30,946 a person, $77,957 at PPP, inflation 1%2010, $34,938 a person, $79,543 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2011, $46,383 a person, $82,735 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2012, $46,969 a person, $87,256 at PPP, inflation 0.1%2013, $44,003 a person, $83,237 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2014, $41,027 a person, $81,226 at PPP, inflation -0.2%2015, $30,625 a person, $62,708 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2016, $26,663 a person, $56,680 at PPP, inflation -0.3%2017, $28,024 a person, $61,658 at PPP, inflation -1.3%2018, $30,988 a person, $65,149 at PPP, inflation 1%2019, $30,427 a person, $69,354 at PPP, inflation -0.4%2020, $26,834 a person, $69,788 at PPP, inflation 1.9%2021, $31,007 a person, $78,249 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2022, $36,633 a person, $81,789 at PPP, inflation 3.7%2023, $32,891 a person, $85,103 at PPP, inflation 0.4%2024, $33,153 a person, $90,010 at PPP, inflation -0.4%2025, $32,235 a person, $92,430 at PPP, inflation -0.3%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Around the middle for life expectancy

Life expectancy
75.5years, at birthHigh
#83 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
84WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
4.8PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageVery lowWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Fast home internet

Unemployment rate
5.3%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
86 Mbpsmedian download speedFastOokla Speedtest · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet86 MbpsFast
Mobile247 MbpsVery fast

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Exterior view of Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque showcasing its stunning architecture in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
How it changed

Brunei's Human Development Index

0.837Very high human development

60th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 13th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #58Saint Kitts and Nevis0.840
  2. #59Panama0.839
  3. #60Brunei0.837
  4. #60Kazakhstan0.837
  5. #62Costa Rica0.833
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.781 in 1990 to 0.837 in 2023.

0.750.820.900.83719902000201020231990: 0.7811991: 0.7821992: 0.7821993: 0.7831994: 0.7821995: 0.7841996: 0.7841997: 0.7851998: 0.7851999: 0.7902000: 0.7922001: 0.7942002: 0.7982003: 0.8042004: 0.8102005: 0.8142006: 0.8192007: 0.8222008: 0.8242009: 0.8282010: 0.8302011: 0.8342012: 0.8412013: 0.8422014: 0.8412015: 0.8392016: 0.8382017: 0.8372018: 0.8372019: 0.8352020: 0.8362021: 0.8352022: 0.8252023: 0.8370.750.820.9019902000201020231990: 0.7811991: 0.7821992: 0.7821993: 0.7831994: 0.7821995: 0.7841996: 0.7841997: 0.7851998: 0.7851999: 0.7902000: 0.7922001: 0.7942002: 0.7982003: 0.8042004: 0.8102005: 0.8142006: 0.8192007: 0.8222008: 0.8242009: 0.8282010: 0.8302011: 0.8342012: 0.8412013: 0.8422014: 0.8412015: 0.8392016: 0.8382017: 0.8372018: 0.8372019: 0.8352020: 0.8362021: 0.8352022: 0.8252023: 0.837

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
75.5 years2024at birthUp 0.8 years from 74.7 years in 2005
Internet users
96%2024of people onlineUp 54 points from 42% in 2006
Urban population
75%2025of people in towns and citiesUp 1 point from 74% in 2006
Births per woman
1.732024births per womanDown 0.29 from 2.02 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
0%2021of energy usedLevel with 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
92024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsUp 1 from 8 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
20.2 t2024of CO2 per person a yearUp 3.5 t from 16.7 t in 2005
Forest area
72%2023of land under forestDown 2 points from 74% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Oil-wealthy sultanate with no income tax; strict Islamic law, very comfortable expat life. The case for living here is high incomes, wide access to essential health services and clean air.

About Brunei

Brunei is a small, wealthy sultanate on the island of Borneo, surrounded on land by Malaysia and facing the South China Sea, with pristine rainforest covering most of its interior and a capital that mixes gilded mosques with quiet riverside villages. The pace of life is calm and the country is very safe, with a strong Malay Islamic culture that shapes public life. Those seeking nightlife or a busy social scene will find it very quiet.

Practical facts

  • CapitalBandar Seri Begawan
  • LanguagesMalay
  • CurrencyBrunei dollar (BND)
  • Area5,270 km²
  • Plug typeType G
  • Drives on theleft
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Quick answers

What is Brunei's Human Development Index?

Brunei's Human Development Index is 0.837 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #60 of 193 by UNDP.

How expensive is Brunei?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Brunei at 48.2 (New York = 100); that is #92 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Brunei?

Life expectancy at birth in Brunei is 75.5 yrs (World Bank), ranked #83 of 195 countries.