Countries
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Brunei
Statistical Publications
The development of Brunei’s statistical system has parallels with that of its neighbour Malaysia. Like much of Malaysia, Brunei experienced the influence of British practices of administrative reporting after it became a British protectorate in 1888. The annual reports of the British consuls in Brunei contain the first statistical data on Brunei's society and economy.
In 1905 Brunei agreed to accommodate a British Resident with a degree of administrative authority, including annual reporting on the state of Brunei. Until 1959, these annual reports detailed Brunei’s administration, economy and social conditions and its basic administrative statistics.
In 1959 Brunei achieved self-government and in 1971 full independence from the United Kingdom. By then, Brunei had opted not to join the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, primarily over disagreements regarding the distribution of Brunei’s significant revenues from oil exports since oil was discovered in the Sultanate in 1929.
Full independence led Brunei in 1973 to establish an Economic Planning Unit. One of the responsibilities of this agency is the collation and dissemination of Brunei’s social and economic statistics. In 1974 it published Brunei’s first 1973/74 statistical yearbook.
The agency changed name over time as it merged with other sections of Brunei’s administration. Its current name is Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS), part of the Ministry of Finance and Economy. Its website contains the most recent publications.
Last update on Thursday 16 April 2026 (07:05) by Pierre van der Eng