As of May 2026, the population of Brunei is 461.6 thousand. The number of inhabitants has increased by 3 thousand in the last year, representing a growth of 0.67%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 29.4 years in 2016 to 34.1 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 75 years and population density is 80.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The population growth rate of Brunei peaked in 1956, reaching around 5.96% annually, but has since declined to approximately 0.65% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 8.12 thousand in 1989 to nearly 3 thousand in 2026.
In Brunei, life expectancy at birth has remained stable over the last 20 years, hovering around 75 years since 2006.
The cities of Brunei are small, with the 5 most populated adding up to around 206 thousand inhabitants. The most populous city is Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District, with approximately 64.4 thousand inhabitants. It is followed by Sengkurong, Brunei-Muara District with 41 thousand and Mentiri, Brunei-Muara District with 39.3 thousand.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Brunei:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District | 64,409 |
| 2 | Sengkurong, Brunei-Muara District | 40,972 |
| 3 | Mentiri, Brunei-Muara District | 39,324 |
| 4 | Kuala Belait, Belait | 31,178 |
| 5 | Seria, Belait | 30,097 |
| 6 | Tutong | 19,151 |
| 7 | Serasa, Brunei-Muara District | 18,569 |
| 8 | Liang, Belait | 16,813 |
| 9 | Perumahan Negara Panchor | 13,358 |
| 10 | Telamba, Tutong | 13,253 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Telisai, Tutong | 13,253 |
| 12 | Kota Batu | 12,676 |
| 13 | Kampung Tanah Jambu, Brunei-Muara District | 11,695 |
| 14 | Pengkalan Batu | 11,560 |
| 15 | Kampung Panaga, Belait | 10,301 |
| 16 | Kampong Ayer, Brunei-Muara District | 10,250 |
| 17 | Kampong Meragang | 9,190 |
| 18 | Keriam, Tutong | 8,589 |
| 19 | Lumapas | 8,058 |
| 20 | Kampong Lambak A, Brunei-Muara District | 7,293 |