Brunei

Languages:

Brunei, a small Southeast Asian nation on the island of Borneo, has a diverse linguistic landscape, with Malay as the official language, reflecting its majority Malay population. The national standardized form of Malay, known as Bahasa Melayu, is used in government, administration, and education. In addition to Malay, other languages spoken in Brunei include English, which is widely used as a second language and serves as the medium of instruction for higher education and business communication. Minority languages, such as Chinese dialects like Hokkien, Hakka, and Mandarin, are spoken by the Chinese community, while indigenous languages, like Dusun and Tutong, are spoken by the country's Indigenous peoples.

Religion:

Brunei is an Islamic nation, with Islam as the official state religion, and approximately 78% of the population identifying as Muslim, predominantly adhering to the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam. Religious practices and institutions are overseen by the state, and the Sultan of Brunei serves as the country's religious leader. Besides Islam, other religious communities exist, with Buddhism being the second-largest faith, accounting for around 8% of the population, mainly practiced by the Chinese community. Christianity is practiced by approximately 9% of the population, consisting of both Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations. Other religious groups, such as Indigenous beliefs and Hindus, make up a small percentage of the population.

Ethnic Groups:

Malay 65.7%, Chinese 10.3%, other 24% (2019 est.)