About Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam is a nation of roughly 400,000 citizens.  The government is led by the Sultan and Prime Minister, H.E. Hassanal Bolkiah.  Brunei's well-to-do economy encompasses a mixture of foreign and domestic entrepreneurship, government regulation, welfare measures, and village tradition.  The economy's leading engine of growth are in the crude oil and natural gas production industries, accounting for over half of GDP and more than 90% of exports.  Per capita GDP is among the highest in Asia.  The government provides for all medical services and free education through the university level and subsidizes rice and housing.   The two major themes that guide Brunei's economic development agenda are managing the exploitation of its oil and gas resources and diversification of the economy beyond the petroleum sector.  The latter has proved to be challenging, because of the bureaucratic nature of economic policy formulation and reform.   

Key Statistics

Source: ASEAN Statistics, CIA World Fact Book, U.S. Census Bureau