The population of Brunei was estimated at 336,376 in July of 2000, with a growth rate estimated at 2.17 percent. In 2000 the birth rate stood at 20.81 per 1,000, and the death rate stood at 3.39 per 1,000.
The population is generally young, with 31 percent below the age of 14 and just 3 percent over the age of 65. In 2000, male life expectancy was estimated at 71.23 years and female at 76.06, and that of the population as a whole at 73.58 years. By 1995, the literacy rate of the total population was relatively high at 88.2 percent, with 92.6 percent of males and 83.4 percent of females over the age of 15 able to read and write.
The Malay people comprise 62 percent of Brunei's population, with Chinese accounting for 15 percent, indigenous people 6 percent, and other groups 17 percent. Islam is Brunei's official religion and Muslims account for 67 percent of the population. About 13 percent are Buddhist, Christians make up 10 percent, and those with indigenous beliefs make up the remaining 10 percent.