Economy of Brunei

Economy of Brunei
	Champion Oil Field off the Bruneian coast
Currency	Brunei dollar (BND, B$)
Fixed exchange rates	1 Brunei dollar = 1 Singapore dollar
Fiscal year	1 April – 31 March (from April 2009)
Trade organisations	APEC, ASEAN, WTO, CPTPP, RCEP, BIMP-EAGA
Country group	Developing/Emerging; High-income economy;
Statistics
Population	458,949 (2023)
GDP	$16.68 billion (nominal, 2025); $42.82 billion (PPP, 2025);
GDP rank	135th (nominal, 2024); 137th (PPP, 2024);
GDP growth	1.4% (2023); 2.4% (2024e); 2.5% (2025f); 2.6% (2026f);
GDP per capita	$37,020 (nominal, 2025); $95,046 (PPP, 2025);
GDP per capita rank	32nd (nominal, 2025); 7th (PPP, 2024);
GDP by sector	agriculture: 1.2%; industry: 56.6%; services: 42.3%; (2017 est.);
Inflation (CPI)	0.5% (2024)
Population below poverty line	NA
Gini coefficient	NA
Human Development Index	0.823 very high (2022) (55th);
Labour force	233,198 (2023); 60.5% employment rate (2023);
Labour force by occupation	agriculture: 4.2%; industry: 62.8%; services: 33%; (2008 est.);
Unemployment	4.9% (2024)
Main industries	petroleum, petroleum refining, liquefied natural gas, construction, agriculture, aquaculture, transportation
External
Exports	$14.411 billion (2022 est.)
Export goods	mineral fuels, organic chemicals
Main export partners	Australia 19%; Japan 17%; China 16%; Singapore 14%; Malaysia 10%; (2022);
Imports	$10.106 billion (2022 est.)
Main import partners	Malaysia 22%; UAE 11%; China 10%; Singapore 7%; Qatar 6%; (2022);
Current account	$2.5 billion (2024 est.)
Gross external debt	$0 (2014)
Public finances
Government debt	2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Foreign reserves	$4.483 billion (31 December 2023 est.)
Budget balance	−9.9% (of GDP) (2024 est.)
Revenues	2.245 billion (2017 est.)
Expenses	4.345 billion (2017 est.)
Credit rating	Not rated
	All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

The economy of Brunei, a small and wealthy country, is a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation and welfare measures, and village traditions. Brunei has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. It is almost entirely supported by exports of crude oil and natural gas, with revenues from the petroleum sector accounting for over half of GDP. Per capita GDP is high, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes food and housing. The government has shown progress in its basic policy of diversifying the economy away from oil and gas. Brunei's leaders are concerned that steadily increased integration in the world economy will undermine internal social cohesion although it has taken steps to become a more prominent player by serving as chairman for the 2000 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum. Growth in 1999 was estimated at 2.5% due to higher oil prices in the second half.

Brunei is the third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia, averaging about 180,000 barrels per day (29,000 m³/d). It also is the ninth-largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world.