Country profile

Brunei Darussalam

East Asia & PacificHigh income463K inhabitants

Last updated February 1, 2026

FacebookTwitter/XLinkedInReddit

Composite GEFRI Score

Progressing readiness

Brunei Darussalam shows progressing readiness (73rd percentile worldwide). Reforms are translating into broader capability, though uneven performance continues to slow system-wide alignment. Higher scores indicate a system that is better prepared to anticipate and shape the future of learning.

61.59Composite score
Global percentile
73rd
Global rank
#49
Regional rank
#7
Viewing data for
Infrastructure
72.93
84th percentileGlobal avg. 56.42
Human Capital
51.17
56th percentileGlobal avg. 46.98
Innovation
27.47
20th percentileGlobal avg. 42.60
Governance
66.08
80th percentileGlobal avg. 47.71
Access & Parity
90.29
89th percentileGlobal avg. 50.60

Country profile

Brunei Darussalam trails global peers in Innovation (27, 20th percentile). A coordinated reform effort is needed to strengthen education futures readiness.

Wide gaps between dimensions reveal structural weaknesses that slow coordinated progress. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Limited tertiary enrollment narrows future talent pipelines and innovation capacity.

Sparse R&D investment and a small research workforce slow experimentation and delay new ideas from reaching learners. Policy and regulatory teams coordinate effectively, offering stability for long-term planning. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

Regionally, Brunei Darussalam leads most clearly in School Access and Gender Parity, sitting well above the peer average.

Note: Most indicators rely on observed data, offering a dependable evidence base for decisions.

Key insights

  • Sits above the global median at the 73rd percentile.
  • Places 49th worldwide.
  • Holds a regional position of 7th within East Asia & Pacific.
  • Scores range from Access & Parity (90.3) to Innovation (27.5), reflecting variation across dimensions.
  • Leads regional peers most clearly in Access & Parity.

Regional peers: East Asia & Pacific

Composite GEFRI score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
21Korea, Rep.79.67
32Singapore78.66
53Hong Kong SAR, China77.89
114Japan76.54
145Australia76.14
206New Zealand73.28
497Brunei Darussalam61.59
——Northern Mariana IslandsMicrostate61.59
508Thailand61.30
539Indonesia60.44
——NauruMicrostate59.98
——PalauMicrostate59.64
——American SamoaMicrostate59.46
——GuamMicrostate59.25
——New CaledoniaMicrostate59.13
5910Macao SAR, China58.49
——French PolynesiaMicrostate58.10
6611Viet Nam57.38
7112Fiji56.49
7213Mongolia56.33
7314Malaysia56.23
7515China55.15
——SamoaMicrostate53.13
8416Philippines52.72
——TuvaluFCSMicrostate51.68
——TongaMicrostate47.16
——KiribatiFCSMicrostate46.45
——Marshall IslandsFCSMicrostate46.17
——Micronesia, Fed. Sts.FCSMicrostate42.15
11017Timor-LesteFCS41.12
11218Vanuatu40.64
12419Korea, Dem. People's Rep.36.42
12920MyanmarFCS33.89
13121Cambodia33.02
13422Solomon IslandsFCS31.89
13723Lao PDR30.98
15324Papua New GuineaFCS25.55