Military profile

Brunei Military Strength

Brunei is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking. It spent $560 million on its military in 2024 (3.7% of GDP).

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Military strength rank

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Active personnel

$560 million

Military spending (2024)

3.7%

Share of GDP

Brunei armed forces in numbers

Finance

Military spending: $560 million#102 of 156
Military spending as % of GDP: 3.7%#15 of 156

Equipment and personnel: Global Firepower 2023 military strength ranking (2023). Spending: World Bank / SIPRI military expenditure data (CC BY 4.0).

Brunei military spending 2010–2024

$39110'

$41511'

$41112'

$41213'

$52814'

$42415'

$40316'

$34717'

$35818'

$41519'

$43720'

$45321'

$43622'

$44923'

$56024'

Military spending of Brunei grew by 43% between 2010 and 2024, from $391 million to $560 million (current US dollars), and stood at 3.7% of GDP in 2024.

Armed forces of Brunei

Branches and forces

Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) or Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei (ABDB): Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF), Royal Brunei Navy (RBN), Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF) (2025)

Personnel

approximately 7,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Service age and conscription

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (2025)

Equipment and suppliers

the military's s inventory includes equipment and weapons systems from a variety of suppliers from Asia, Europe, and the US (2025)

Good to know

the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) are responsible for ensuring the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as countering outside aggression, terrorism, and insurgency Brunei has a long-standing defense relationship with the UK and hosts a British Army garrison, which includes a Gurkha battalion and a jungle warfare school; Brunei also has close security ties with Singapore and hosts a Singaporean military training detachment the RBAF was formed in 1961 with British support as the Brunei Malay Regiment; "Royal" was added as an honorary title in 1965 and its current name was given in 1984 (2025)

Military expenditure (% of GDP)

2023: 3% · 2022: 2.6% · 2021: 3.1% · 2020: 3.7% · 2019: 3.1%

Forces and service: CIA World Factbook (public domain).

Brunei compared with its neighbours

Country	Strength rank	Military spending
Brunei	—	$560 million
Malaysia	#42	$4.9 billion

Frequently asked questions about the Brunei military

How strong is the military of Brunei?

Brunei is not covered by the Global Firepower ranking. It spent $560 million on its military in 2024 (3.7% of GDP).

How much does Brunei spend on its military?

$560 million in 2024, or 3.7% of GDP. Since 2010 spending has risen by 43% in current US dollars.

Is there conscription in Brunei?

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service (2025)

How many soldiers does Brunei have?

approximately 7,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

Military strength ranking Neighbouring countries of Brunei