Photo: kulimpapat derivative work: Inkey · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 08 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Brunei: Gender & Equality
How wide is the gap between women's and men's lives?
Brunei is placed joint 97th of 183 countries on gender & equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics. Readings behind it: Women, Business and the Law 53.13 (2025); Firms with a Female Top Manager 37.93 (2025).
Share
Gender & Equality
joint97th
of 183 countries placed
Placed from 2 of 4 key statistics
- 53.13Women, Business and the Law, 2025WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
- —Women's Political Empowerment Index, 2025No reading for this country
- 37.93Firms with a Female Top Manager, 2025Firms with a female top manager (%)
- —Social Institutions and Gender Index, 2023No reading for this country
01The evidence
The 4 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Brunei on gender & equality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
53.13
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)
Higher is better
Brunei: 53.13. Across the 190 countries in this edition, values run from 3.125 (Afghanistan) to 100 (Sweden); the world median is 81.25.
- World median
- 81.25
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 88.13 Vietnam
- Land neighbours
- Malaysia 60.63
Key 2 of 4
Women's Political Empowerment Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
No reading
Women's political empowerment index (0–1)
Higher is better
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg publishes no 2025 figure for Brunei, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.028 (Afghanistan) to 0.954 (Denmark); the world median is 0.772.
- World median
- 0.772
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 0.81 Philippines
- Land neighbours
- Malaysia 0.772
Key 3 of 4
Firms with a Female Top Manager
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2016–2025 · Brunei’s is from 2025 · CC BY 4.0
37.93
Firms with a female top manager (%)
Higher is better
Brunei: 37.93. Across the 179 countries at their latest reading, values run from 1.429 (Qatar) to 62.9 (Kiribati); the world median is 19.16.
- World median
- 19.16
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 50.69 Laos
- Land neighbours
- Malaysia 25.54
Key 4 of 4
Social Institutions and Gender Index
OECD
2023 edition · data for 2023 · OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
No reading
SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute)
Lower is better
OECD publishes no 2023 figure for Brunei, so the standing rests on the other keys.
Across the 140 countries in this edition, values run from 6.7 (Norway) to 67.4 (Mauritania); the world median is 25.2.
- World median
- 25.2
- Best in South-eastern Asia
- 21.7 Cambodia
- Land neighbours
- Malaysia 60.7
02Over time
Which way Brunei is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Women, Business and the Law
WBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) · higher is better
BruneiWorld median
Brunei rose from 44.38 in 2000 to 53.13 in 2025; the world median went from 63.13 to 81.25.
Every year’s figures
Year Brunei World median 2025 53 81.3 2023 53 81.3 2022 53 80.3 2021 53 80.0 2020 53 79.7 2019 53 78.8 2018 53 77.5 2017 53 77.5 2016 53 76.9 2015 53 75.9 2014 53 75.6 2013 53 75.0 2012 53 73.8 2011 53 73.1 2010 53 73.1 2009 47 72.5 2008 47 71.3 2007 47 69.7 2006 47 68.8 2005 47 67.2 2004 47 66.9 2003 47 64.7 2002 47 63.8 2001 47 63.8 2000 44 63.1
03In context
Brunei beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 183 countries on gender & equality, never a place within the region.
Brunei and the countries it borders
Standing among all 183; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Women, Business and the LawWBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity) | Women's Political Empowerment IndexWomen's political empowerment index (0–1) | Firms with a Female Top ManagerFirms with a female top manager (%) | Social Institutions and Gender IndexSIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunei | =97th | 53.13 | — | 37.93 | — |
 Malaysia | =131st | 60.63 | 0.772 | 25.54 | 60.7 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across South-eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 183.
Placed either side on gender & equality
The countries immediately above and below Brunei in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Brunei is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under gender & equality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median10
Statistics on which Brunei does better than the middle country measured.
Firms with Female Participation in OwnershipWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 35.1256.8435.12No earlier reading
Brunei: 56.84 · world median 35.12 · Firms with at least one woman among the owners (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 1.273 to 86.78; higher is better.
Position 17th of 181 · derived.
Institutional DeliveriesUNICEF · 2025 · world median 96.999.896.9No earlier reading
Brunei: 99.8 · world median 96.9 · Live births delivered in a health facility (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 11.5 to 100; higher is better.
Gender Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.9710.9930.971▼ Worsened since 2013
Brunei: 0.993 · world median 0.971 · Gender Development Index (1.000 = parity). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.407 to 1.038; higher is better.
Position 23rd of 184 · derived.
Antenatal Care Coverage, At Least Four VisitsUNICEF · 2025 · world median 8193.281No earlier reading
Brunei: 93.2 · world median 81 · Women with a live birth who had 4+ antenatal visits (%). UNICEF, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 22.6 to 100; higher is better.
Position 34th of 153 · derived.
Adolescent Birth Rate (Ages 15–19)UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 27.468.51827.46No real change since 2013
Brunei: 8.518 · world median 27.46 · Live births per 1,000 women aged 15–19. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.465 to 163.09; lower is better.
Position 169th of 222 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.3510.2570.351▲ Improved since 2016
Brunei: 0.257 · world median 0.351 · GII (0 = full equality, 1 = maximum inequality). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.838; lower is better.
Ranked 66th of 172 by UNDP Human Development Report Office.
Births Attended by Skilled Health StaffUNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance) · 2023 · world median 99.399.699.3▼ Worsened since 2013
Brunei: 99.6 · world median 99.3 · Births attended by skilled health staff (%). UNICEF and WHO (Joint Database on Skilled Birth Attendance), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 60.9 to 100; higher is better.
Position 34th of 84 · derived.
Maternal Mortality RatioMMEIG · 2023 · world median 46.6536.3546.65▼ Worsened since 2013
Brunei: 36.35 · world median 46.65 · Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.11 to 992.83; lower is better.
Position 107th of 195 · derived, 1st = worst.
Female Labour Force Participation RateILO · 2025 · world median 53.3654.4453.36▼ Worsened since 2015
Brunei: 54.44 · world median 53.36 · Women aged 15+ in the labour force (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 4.663 to 82.91; higher is better.
Position 86th of 182 · derived.
Female Share of Senior and Middle ManagementILO · 2024 · world median 35.8636.4335.86▼ Worsened since 2014
Brunei: 36.43 · world median 35.86 · Women in senior and middle management (% of managers). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 7.226 to 56.69; higher is better.
Position 41st of 86 · derived.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which Brunei does worse than the middle country measured.
Length of Paid Maternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 989198▼ Worsened since 2015
Brunei: 91 · world median 98 · Paid maternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 410; higher is better.
Length of Paid Paternity LeaveWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 303▼ Worsened since 2015
Brunei: 0 · world median 3 · Paid paternity leave set in law (calendar days). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 196; higher is better.
No better end5
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Sex Ratio at BirthUN DESA Population Division · 2023 · world median 105.1107.6105.1No real change since 2013
Brunei: 107.6 · world median 105.1 · Male births per 100 female births. UN DESA Population Division, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 101.1 to 116.3.
Female Share of STEM GraduatesUIS · 2023 · world median 35.344.4335.3Moved since 2015
Brunei: 44.43 · world median 35.3 · STEM graduates who are women (%; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 8.333 to 55.96.
Mean Age at First Marriage, WomenUN DESA Population Division · 2019 · world median 24.6526.124.65No earlier reading
Brunei: 26.1 · world median 24.65 · Singulate mean age at marriage, women (years). UN DESA Population Division, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 17 to 34.
Female Share of ResearchersUIS · 2024 · world median 38.1739.8238.17No earlier reading
Brunei: 39.82 · world median 38.17 · Researchers who are women (% of headcount; 50 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 76.54.
Female-Headed HouseholdsUN DESA Population Division · 2026 · world median 33.2114.5633.21No earlier reading
Brunei: 14.56 · world median 33.21 · Households headed by a woman (% of households). UN DESA Population Division, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 5.33 to 64.59.
No current reading for Brunei
Account Ownership Among Women, Caesarean Section Rate, Child Marriage, Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern Methods, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment (last 2023), Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife, Women's Empowerment Index, Women's Political Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Gender & Equality among Brunei’s 15 topics
Gender & Equality is Brunei’s 10th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Risk & Resilience24th of 1933/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation44th of 1762/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions49th of 1943/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 72nd of 1824/4 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 73rd of 1843/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing82nd of 2002/4 keys
- Peace & Security76th of 1772/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital88th of 1963/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties100th of 1982/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 97th of 1832/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade96th of 1773/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge127th of 1982/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 133rd of 1983/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability146th of 1862/4 keys
- Energy140th of 1653/3 keys
No standing on Poverty & Inequality: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on gender & equality
The three countries placed highest of 183, and the leaders Brunei can most readily be measured against.
1
LatviaNorthern Europe
1st of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Marcin Szala · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
TaiwanEastern Asia
2nd of 183 · 3 of 4 keys
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
3
ItalySouthern Europe
3rd of 183 · 4 of 4 keys
Photo: Francisco Antunes · CC BY 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Taiwan2nd3/4 keysHighest in South-eastern Asia
Timor-Leste51st3/4 keysThis page
Brunei=97th2/4 keys
Positions out of 183 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Brunei on gender & equality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Brunei rank on gender & equality?
Brunei is placed joint 97th of 183 countries on Gender & Equality in the Country Index 2026, from 2 of its 4 key statistics (Women, Business and the Law and Firms with a Female Top Manager). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Women, Business and the Law figure for Brunei?
53.13 in 2025 (wBL Index (0–100, where 100 is full legal parity)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 81.25.
What is the latest Firms with a Female Top Manager figure for Brunei?
37.93 in 2025 (firms with a female top manager (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 19.16.
How does Brunei compare with Malaysia on gender & equality?
Malaysia is placed joint 131st of 183, and Brunei joint 97th. Women, Business and the Law: Malaysia 60.63, Brunei 53.13; Firms with a Female Top Manager: Malaysia 25.54, Brunei 37.93.
How have Brunei’s gender & equality figures changed?
Women, Business and the Law rose from 44.38 in 2000 to 53.13 in 2025.
Which gender & equality statistics are missing for Brunei?
No current reading is published for Brunei on Account Ownership Among Women, Caesarean Section Rate, Child Marriage, Demand for Family Planning Satisfied by Modern Methods, Female Genital Mutilation Prevalence, Gender Parity Index, Tertiary Enrolment, Gender Social Norms Index, Global Gender Parity Index, Legal Guarantees of Women's Equal Rights to Land, Social Institutions and Gender Index, Women Who Think a Husband Is Justified in Hitting or Beating His Wife, Women's Empowerment Index, Women's Political Empowerment Index and Women's Share of Agricultural Landowners. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
Violence against women is not a key here, because comparable data covers too few countries. The Gender Inequality Index is published here as context rather than as a key: its reading is driven largely by maternal and adolescent health, which moves with a country’s overall development and is already measured under Development and Health. Women’s labour force participation, women in management and child marriage are published here as context too.
How the Gender & Equality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 4 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 4 keys to be placed.
The gender & equality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Women, Business and the Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Women's Political Empowerment Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Firms with a Female Top Manager — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Social Institutions and Gender Index — OECD, OECD Terms and Conditions — data clause
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 8 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Brunei’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Brunei (banner) — kulimpapat derivative work: Inkey, CC BY 2.0
- Latvia — Marcin Szala, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Italy — Francisco Antunes, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Brunei: Gender & Equality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/brunei/gender