A pioneering study on measuring poverty in the hydrocarbon-rich state of Brunei Darussalam

Figures & data

Figure 1. Brunei Per Capita GNI at current value among Selected OECD Countries: 2005–2020, Source: compiled and drawn from OECD (2022).

Table 1. Monthly Household Income by Income Bracket.

Income Bracket (BND)	Distribution of Households (%)	Average monthly HH Income (BND)	Per Capita Monthly Income (BND)	Median HH Income (BND)
2005
1. Less than 1,000	8.4	602	171	600
2. 1,000–1,999	15.9	1,536	326	1,560
3. 2,000–2,999	16.5	2,493	480	2,502
4. 3,000–3,999	14.3	3,493	609	3,502
5. 4,000–4,999	10.5	4,474	721	4,452
6. 5,000–5,999	9.2	5,475	899	5,470
7. 6,000–6,999	6.3	6,464	959	6,482
8. 7,000–7,999	5.1	7,506	1,052	7,526
9. 8,000–8,999	3.9	8,492	1,251	8,470
10. 9,000–9,999	2.6	9,494	1,218	9,506
11. 10,000 and over	7.2	15,411	1,898	12,791
Total (59,900 HH)	100.0	4,661	807	3,640
2010/2011
1. Less than 1,000	3.2	652	174	710
2. 1,000–1,999	9.5	1,517	335	1,526
3. 2,000–2,999	15.7	2,533	470	2,553
4. 3,000–3,999	14.3	3,489	622	3,477
5. 4,000–4,999	11.9	4,478	722	4,469
6. 5,000–5,999	10.2	5,475	824	5,459
7. 6,000–6,999	8.1	6,457	916	6,433
8. 7,000–7,999	5.9	7,498	1,045	7,504
9. 8,000–8,999	4.7	8,503	1,141	8,486
10. 9,000–9,999	3.7	9,418	1,177	9,422
11. 10,000 and over	12.8	14,099	1,675	12,906
Total (66,000 HH)	100.0	5,670	895	4,576
2015/2016
1. Less than 1,000	2.1	700	214	740
2. 1,000–1,999	7.6	1,503	363	1,496
3. 2,000–2,999	11.7	2,495	503	2,497
4. 3,000–3,999	10.9	3,452	646	3,417
5. 4,000–4,999	11.2	4,481	741	4,499
6. 5,000–5,999	10.0	5,478	872	5,453
7. 6,000–6,999	9.9	6,460	1,030	6,461
8. 7,000–7,999	6.7	7,481	1,183	7,439
9. 8,000–8,999	5.5	8,438	1,290	8,434
10. 9,000–9,999	5.3	9,501	1,211	9,473
11. 10,000 and over	18.9	16,096	2,006	13,628
Total (67,966 HH)	100.0	7,009	1,131	5,611

Source: Compiled from Department of Statistics, Department of Economic Planning and Development (2019).

Table 2. Monthly Household Expenditure by Expenditure Bracket.

Expenditure Bracket (BND)	Distribution of Households (%)	Average Monthly HH expenditure (BND)	Per Capita Monthly Expenditure (BND)	Median Monthly HH Expenditure (BND)
2005
1. Less than 1,000	18.0	655	157	687
2. 1,000–1,999	29.9	1,505	268	1,513
3. 2,000–2,999	21.2	2,460	410	2,447
4. 3,000–3,999	12.0	3,443	539	3,421
5. 4,000–4,999	7.3	4,463	694	4,442
6. 5,000–5,999	4.1	5,459	806	5,425
7. 6,000–6,999	2.4	6,426	846	6,410
8. 7,000–7,999	1.5	7,449	1,125	7,457
9. 8,000–8,999	1.0	8,463	1,166	8,520
10. 9,000–9,999	0.7	9,539	1,236	9,549
11. 10,000 and over	1.8	14,466	1,739	12,335
Total (59,900 HH)	100.0	2,735	473	2,075
2010/2011
1. Less than 1,000	8.9	700	145	750
2. 1,000–1,999	32.5	1,550	262	1,565
3. 2,000–2,999	27.3	2,435	380	2,411
4. 3,000–3,999	13.4	3,438	478	3,409
5. 4,000–4,999	6.3	4,461	636	4,448
6. 5,000–5,999	3.9	5,442	769	5,416
7. 6,000–6,999	2.0	6,499	942	6,512
8. 7,000–7,999	1.6	7,484	1,094	7,504
9. 8,000–8,999	1.3	8,414	1,086	8,376
10. 9,000–9,999	0.8	9,454	1,397	9,367
11. 10,000 and over	2.0	13,705	1,915	11,803
Total (66,000 HH)	100.0	2,895	457	2,241
2015/2016
1. Less than 1,000	6.5	708	172	750
2. 1,000–1,999	37.1	1,551	270	1,578
3. 2,000–2,999	25.9	2,453	374	2,444
4. 3,000–3,999	12.5	3,429	518	3,411
5. 4,000–4,999	6.7	4,428	642	4,345
6. 5,000–5,999	3.9	5,475	810	5,470
7. 6,000–6,999	2.1	6,439	769	6,358
8. 7,000–7,999	1.6	7,419	1,015	7,369
9. 8,000–8,999	0.6	8,384	1,164	8,350
10. 9,000–9,999	0.9	9,475	1,550	9,362
11. 10,000 and over	2.2	15,755	2,198	12,890
Total (67,966 HH)	100.0	2,923	472	2,205

Source: Compiled from Department of Statistics, Department of Economic Planning and Development (2019).

Table 3. National Monthly Household Income and Expenditure (in BND).

	2005	2010	2015
Monthly HH Income
Mean	4,661	5,670	7,009
Per capita	807	895	1,131
Median	3,640	4,576	5,611
Monthly HH Expenditure
Mean	2,735	2,895	2,923
Per capita	473	457	472
Median	2,075	2,241	2,205

Source: compiled from DEPS (2019).

Figure 2. The trend in Household Distribution by Income Bracket: Brunei, 2005, 2010 and 2015, Source: Drawn from Table 1.

Table 4. The Estimated Brunei Monthly Household Poverty Lines (MHPLs) following World Bank Poverty Lines.

World Bank poverty line	Currency rate	Mean Household members	Brunei poverty line
			Per day per person (BND)	Monthly per person (BND)	Monthly Household (MHPL)
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4) = (1) × (2)	(5) = (4) × 30	(6) = (5) × (3)
2005 1.9	1.7	5.8	3.2	96.9	560.3
3.2	1.7	5.8	5.4	163.2	943.7
5.5	1.7	5.8	9.4	280.5	1621.9
2010 1.9	1.4	6.3	2.7	79.8	505.5
3.2	1.4	6.3	4.5	134.4	851.4
5.5	1.4	6.3	7.7	231.0	1463.3
2015 1.9	1.4	6.2	2.7	79.8	494.2
3.2	1.4	6.2	4.5	134.4	832.3
5.5	1.4	6.2	7.7	231.0	1430.5

Source: Authors’ calculation.

Figure 3. The trend in Household Distribution by Expenditure Bracket: Brunei, 2005, 2010 and 2015, Source: Drawn from Table 2.

Table 5. Estimated Monthly Household Poverty Rates in Brunei based on the World Bank Poverty Lines: Income and Expenditure Approaches.

World Bank Poverty line		Income			Expenditure
		2005	2010	2015	2005	2010	2015
1.9	Model 1	4.7	1.6	1.0	10.1	4.5	3.2
	Model 2	3.9	1.1	0.7	7.3	3.0	2.1
3.2	Model 1	7.9	2.7	1.7	17.0	7.6	5.4
	Model 2	7.8	2.4	1.4	16.4	6.3	4.3
5.5	Model 1	18.3	7.6	5.4	36.6	24.0	22.5
	Model 2	17.5	7.4	5.4	36.3	22.2	20.3

Source: Authors’ calculation.

Table 6. Estimated Poverty Rates based on Poverty Line in High-Income Countries: Brunei, 2005, 2010 and 2015

Poverty line and Poverty rate		Income		Expenditure
	2005	2010	2015	2005	2010	2015
Poverty line (50% median)	1,820.0	2,288.0	2,805.5	1,037.5	1,120.5	1,102.5
Poverty rate
Model 1	21.4	17.2	19.12	19.1	12.8	10.3
Model 2	21.0	16.8	19.14	18.1	12.4	9.8

Source: Authors’ calculation.

OECD. (2022). Poverty rate (indicator). Retrieved April 28, 2022 from https://doi.org/10.1787/0fe1315d-en

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Department of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Finance and Economy. (2019). Report of the household expenditure survey 2015/16. Department of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Finance and Economy.

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