Languages spoken in Brunei
Asia · Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan · Population 491,900
The official language of Brunei is Malay. An estimated 98% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 482,062 people. After Malay, the most widely spoken are Chinese at 11% and English at 1.6%. Malay belongs to the Austronesian language family. Malay is also spoken in one of its one neighbour: Malaysia. In total, three languages are recorded in Brunei, and their shares add up to 110.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Brunei?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MalayAustronesian | 98% | Official | 482,062 |
| ChineseSino-Tibetan | 11% | Spoken | 54,109 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 1.6% | Spoken | 7,870 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Brunei?
The official language of Brunei is Malay. Malay is spoken by an estimated 98% of the population, or roughly 482,062 people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Malay in Brunei?
An estimated 98% of Brunei's 491,900 people speak Malay, which works out at roughly 482,062 speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Brunei
- Capital
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Population
- 491,900
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 5,765 km²
- Currency
- BND and SGD
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 1
- ISO codes
- BN / BRN / 096
Which countries border Brunei?
Brunei shares a land border with one country: Malaysia. Malay, the most widely spoken language in Brunei, is also spoken in Malaysia.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.