Ethnic Chinese in Brunei
汶萊華人 Orang Cina di Brunei اورڠ چينا د بروني | |
|---|---|
Chinese women and children in Kuala Belait, 1945. | |
| Total population | |
| 42,132 9.6% of the Bruneian population (2021) | |
| Languages | |
| English and Malay as medium of communication in schools and government • Mandarin (lingua franca) • Chinese varieties such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism • Christianity • Taoism • Islam • Chinese folk religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Singaporean Chinese · Malaysian Chinese · Indonesian Chinese · Overseas Chinese |
Ethnic Chinese in Brunei are individuals of full or partial Chinese descent, primarily Han Chinese, who are either citizens or residents of the country. As of 2015, they make up 10.1% of Brunei's population, making them the second largest ethnic group. Brunei is home to one of the smaller overseas Chinese communities, with many Chinese people in the country being stateless.
Ethnic Chinese in Brunei were encouraged to settle due to their commercial and business acumen, with the largest subgroup being the Hokkien, many of whom originated from Kinmen and Xiamen in China, followed by smaller groups of Hakka and Cantonese. Despite their relatively small numbers, the Hokkien have a significant presence in Brunei's private and business sectors, contributing their entrepreneurial expertise and often partnering with Malaysian Chinese enterprises in joint ventures. The non-state commercial sector in Brunei has been largely dominated by ethnic Chinese who immigrated during the British colonial era.