Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Brunei
Brunei: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) was 25.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
25.0%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
145th
of 218 countries
All-time high
56.7%
in 1960
All-time low
24.7%
in 2011
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Rural population in Brunei, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Brunei stood at 25.0%.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Brunei peaked at 56.7% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2011.
That places Brunei 145th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Brunei, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 56.7% | — |
| 1961 | 54.7% | -3.4% |
| 1962 | 52.6% | -4.0% |
| 1963 | 50.2% | -4.5% |
| 1964 | 47.8% | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 45.4% | -5.0% |
| 1966 | 43.1% | -5.1% |
| 1967 | 41.0% | -4.9% |
| 1968 | 39.2% | -4.4% |
| 1969 | 37.7% | -3.7% |
| 1970 | 36.8% | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 36.4% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 36.5% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 36.8% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 37.2% | +1.2% |
| 1975 | 37.8% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 38.4% | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 39.0% | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 39.6% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 40.1% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 40.5% | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 40.6% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 40.6% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 40.4% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 39.9% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 39.2% | -1.9% |
| 1986 | 38.3% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 37.3% | -2.7% |
| 1988 | 36.2% | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 35.2% | -2.8% |
| 1990 | 34.3% | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 33.5% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 32.9% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 32.3% | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 31.7% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 31.2% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 30.7% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 30.2% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 29.7% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 29.2% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 28.8% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 28.3% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 27.9% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 27.4% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 26.9% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 26.4% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 26.0% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 25.6% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 25.2% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 24.9% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 24.7% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 24.7% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 24.7% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 24.8% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 24.9% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 25.1% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 25.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 25.2% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 25.2% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 25.2% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 25.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 25.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 25.2% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 25.2% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 25.1% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 25.0% | -0.4% |
Brunei compared with similar countries
- Brunei's 25.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 18.7%, 1.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Brunei's 25.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.6%, 72% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 46.8% | 37.7% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.9% | 36.4% | 40.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 38.8% | 35.2% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 31.6% | 29.2% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 26.8% | 24.9% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 24.7% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 25.0% | 25.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brunei
More agriculture & rural data for Brunei
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0214 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.0287 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -1.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0118 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 380.81 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3272 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Brunei?
- Rural population in Brunei was 25.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Brunei?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Brunei?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2011.
- How does Brunei rank for rural population?
- Brunei ranks 145th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Brunei?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brunei data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.