World Sites & Apps
Asia · #170 · 2025–2026

Brunei: internet and everyday apps

Brunei has about 450 thousand people online — a penetration rate of 97.8% and rank #170 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 13 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 450 thousand Penetration 97.8% World rank #170 Updated 2026-11-12
Language Bahasa MelayuEnglish
TL;DR
  • Brunei has roughly 450 thousand internet users (450,000 people) — about 97.8% of the population and rank #170 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, Tools, Gaming and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Brunei in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
450 thousand450,000 · #170
Penetration
97.8%#12
Population
460 thousand460,000 · #174
GDP
$15B#146
GDP growth
+4.1%#72
GDP per person
$33,261#52
Land area
5.8k km²#169
Capital
Bandar Seri Begawan
Region
Asia
Official languages
Malay

How Brunei goes online

In Brunei, WhatsApp is the first route for almost anything: inviting a friend, asking a price, ordering cakes. Instagram is where people show food and trips, while Facebook is still opened for news and announcements. The Borneo Bulletin gets read in the morning, and bank apps settle bills without a queue at the branch. Mobile coverage reaches the villages, even if the price is not always kind. The population is small enough that most people know somebody who works wherever you are going.

Around 97.8%. With a population of about 460 thousand and 450 thousand online, roughly 10 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 13 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

13 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Messenger Messaging · Meta · 2011

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Shopping

2 Most-used apps →
Shopee Shopping · Sea Group · 2015 Lazada Shopping · 阿里巴巴 · 2012

Mobility

1 Most-used apps →
Grab Mobility · Grab Holdings · 2012

Food

1 Most-used apps →
foodpanda Food · Delivery Hero · 2012

Tools

2 Most-used apps →
Google Tools · Google · 1998 Gmail Tools · Google · 2004

Gaming

1 Most-used apps →
Garena Free Fire Gaming · Garena · 2017

Websites people in Brunei actually use

9

The 9 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News3Telecom2Banking2Transport1Mail1
Borneo BulletinNewsborneobulletin.com.bnBrunei’s main English-language daily since 1953 — palace news, government notices and the shipping pages. Pelita BruneiNewspelitabrunei.gov.bnThe government’s Malay-language newspaper — official announcements, appointments and royal news. The ScoopNewsthescoop.coThe Scoop is the only place that writes about the things nobody in the ministry wants to talk about. DSTTelecomdst.com.bnMy broadband is DST, so the bill and the outage notices both come from dst.com.bn. imagineTelecomimagine.com.bnI moved to imagine for the data plan and I check my usage on their site every few days. BIBDBankingbibd.com.bnThe largest Islamic bank here, with branches in all four districts. Baiduri BankBankingbaiduri.comOne of the largest local banks, concentrated around Bandar Seri Begawan. Royal Brunei AirlinesTransportflyroyalbrunei.comThe flag carrier, flying to London, Dubai and key Southeast Asian cities. Brunei Postal ServicesMailpost.gov.bnA small postal network that still covers every district.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Brunei are online?

About 450 thousand (450,000 people). That works out to roughly 97.8% of the population, which puts Brunei at #170 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Brunei use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Mobility, Food, Tools, Gaming. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Brunei?

WhatsApp, Messenger dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Brunei?

Around 97.8%. With a population of about 460 thousand and 450 thousand online, roughly 10 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Brunei?

The everyday ones are Borneo Bulletin, Pelita Brunei, The Scoop, plus the other 9 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Brunei: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/bn-en.html