2018 Edition

Background

Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. In 1867, Luxembourg attained full independence under the condition that it promise perpetual neutrality. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the EEC (later the EU), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency zone.

Area

land

2,586 sq km

total

2,586 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delaware

Climate

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

elevation extremes

133 m lowest point: Moselle River

mean elevation

325 m

note

559 highest point: Buurgplaatz

Environment Current Issues

air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapes

Environment International Agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification

Geographic Coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography Note

landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world

Irrigated Land

0 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (3)

Belgium 130 km, France 69 km, Germany 128 km

total

327 km

Land Use

arable land: 24% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0.6% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 26.1% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

50.7% (2011 est.)

forest

33.5% (2011 est.)

other

15.8% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

note

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

occasional flooding

Natural Resources

iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Population Distribution

most people live in the south, on or near the border with France

Terrain

mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast

Age Structure

0-14 years

16.74% (male 52,243 /female 49,183)

15-24 years

12.06% (male 37,391 /female 35,650)

25-54 years

44.18% (male 137,381 /female 130,252)

55-64 years

11.9% (male 36,670 /female 35,442)

65 years and over

15.11% (male 41,002 /female 50,550) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

11.6 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death Rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.1 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

5 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

43.6 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

23.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

4% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Luxembourger 52.1%, Portuguese 16%, French 7.6%, Italian 3.6%, Belgian 3.4%, German 2.2%, Spanish 1.1%, British 1%, other 13% (2018 est.)

note

data represent population by nationality

Health Expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.3% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<100 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

1,100 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

4.9 beds/1,000 population (2014)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Luxembourgish (official administrative and judicial language and national language (spoken vernacular)) 55.8%, Portuguese 15.7%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 12.1%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 3.1%, Italian 2.9%, English 2.1%, other 8.4% (2011 est.)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

85 years (2018 est.)

male

79.9 years (2018 est.)

total population

82.4 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

39.9 years (2018 est.)

male

38.7 years

total

39.3 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

30.1 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Luxembourg

noun

Luxembourger(s)

Net Migration Rate

15.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

2.92 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

605,764 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.9% (2018 est.)

Religions

Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.4%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.5%, none 26.8% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 97.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 98.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 97.6% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 2.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 1.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

14 years (2012)

male

14 years (2012)

total

14 years (2012)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.62 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

18% (2016 est.)

male

19.7% (2016 est.)

total

18.9% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.55% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

91% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

12 cantons (cantons, singular - canton); Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange, Remich, Vianden, Wiltz

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

49 36 N, 6 07 E

name

Luxembourg

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

limited to situations where the parents are either unknown, stateless, or when the nationality law of the parents' state of origin does not permit acquisition of citizenship by descent when the birth occurs outside of national territory

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Luxembourg

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

7 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the Chamber of Deputies or by the monarch to the Chamber; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Chamber in two successive readings three months apart; a referendum can be substituted for the second reading if approved by more than one-quarter of the Chamber members or by 25,000 valid voters; adoption by referendum requires a majority of all valid voters; amended many times, last in 2009 (2016)

history

previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1868 (2016)

Country Name

conventional long form

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

conventional short form

Luxembourg

etymology

from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"

local long form

Grand Duche de Luxembourg

local short form

Luxembourg

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador James Randolph "Randy" EVANS (since 19 June 2018)

embassy

22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

FAX

[352] 46-14-01

mailing address

Unit 3560, APO-AE 09126-3560 (official mail)

telephone

[352] 46-01-23 00

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Sylvie LUCAS (since 16 September 2016)

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 328-8270

telephone

[1] (202) 265-4171

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the monarch

chief of state

Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; following elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies

head of government

Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Etienne SCHNEIDER (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Felix BRAZ (since 5 December 2018)

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)

Government Type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

1839 (from the Netherlands)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Supreme Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office

judges of both courts appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts

Court of Accounts; district and local tribunals and courts

Legal System

civil law system

Legislative Branch

description

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - a 21-member Council of State appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies

election results

percent of vote by party - CSV 28.3%, LSAP 17.6%, DP 16.9%, Green Party 15.1%, ADR 8.3%, Pirate Party 6.4%, The Left 5.5%, other 1.9%; seats by party - CSV 21, DP 12, LSAP 10, Green Party 9, ADR 4, Pirate Party 2, The Left 2; composition - men 46, women 14, percent of women 23.3%

elections

last held on 14 October 2018 (next to be held by October 2023)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown

name

"Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William)

note

"Ons Heemecht," adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while "De Wilhelmus," adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg

National Holiday

National Day (Birthday of Grand Duke HENRI), 23 June; note - this date of birth is not the true date of birth for any of the Royals, but the national festivities were shifted in 1962 to allow observance during a more favorable time of year

National Symbol S

red, rampant lion; national colors: red, white, light blue

Political Parties And Leaders

Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS]Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Marc SPAUTZ]Democratic Party or DP [Corinne CAHEN]Green Party [Francoise FOLMER, Christian KMIOTEK]Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Claude HAAGEN]The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee]other minor parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agriculture Products

grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy and livestock products

Budget

expenditures

26.8 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

27.75 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

0% (31 December 2017)

0% (31 December 2010)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

1.9% (31 December 2017 est.)

1.98% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

$3.112 billion (2017 est.)

$2.988 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$3.781 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$3.806 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

30.4 (2013 est.)

26 (2005 est.)

Economy Overview

This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in the world, is a landlocked country in northwestern Europe surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Despite its small landmass and small population, Luxembourg is the fifth-wealthiest country in the world when measured on a gross domestic product (PPP) per capita basis. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position, with a 2017 surplus of 0.5% of GDP, and the lowest public debt level in the region.Since 2002, Luxembourg’s government has proactively implemented policies and programs to support economic diversification and to attract foreign direct investment. The government focused on key innovative industries that showed promise for supporting economic growth: logistics, information and communications technology (ICT); health technologies, including biotechnology and biomedical research; clean energy technologies, and more recently, space technology and financial services technologies. The economy has evolved and flourished, posting strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2017, far outpacing the European average of 1.8%.Luxembourg remains a financial powerhouse – the financial sector accounts for more than 35% of GDP - because of the exponential growth of the investment fund sector through the launch and development of cross-border funds (UCITS) in the 1990s. Luxembourg is the world’s second-largest investment fund asset domicile, after the US, with $4 trillion of assets in custody in financial institutions.Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure, as well as the "LuxLeaks" scandal, which revealed advantageous tax treatments offered to foreign corporations. In 2015, the government’s compliance with EU requirements to implement automatic exchange of tax information on savings accounts - thus ending banking secrecy - has constricted banking activity. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce has cut Luxembourg’s sales tax revenues, requiring the government to raise additional levies and to reduce some direct social benefits as part of the tax reform package of 2017. The tax reform package also included reductions in the corporate tax rate and increases in deductions for families, both intended to increase purchasing power and increase competitiveness.

Exchange Rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2017 est.)

0.903 (2016 est.)

0.9214 (2015 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exports

$15.99 billion (2017 est.)

$16.37 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass

Exports Partners

Germany 25.6%, Belgium 17.6%, France 14%, Netherlands 5.1%, Italy 4.1%, UK 4.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

230% (2017 est.)

government consumption

16.5% (2017 est.)

household consumption

30.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-194% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

0.3% (2017 est.)

industry

12.8% (2017 est.)

services

86.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$62.53 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$105,100 (2017 est.)

$105,400 (2016 est.)

$104,600 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$62.11 billion (2017 est.)

$60.71 billion (2016 est.)

$58.9 billion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

2.3% (2017 est.)

3.1% (2016 est.)

2.9% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

22.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

23% of GDP (2016 est.)

23.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

23.8% (2000)

lowest 10%

23.8% (2000)

Imports

$20.66 billion (2017 est.)

$20.41 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

commercial aircraft, minerals, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs, luxury consumer goods

Imports Partners

Belgium 32%, Germany 24.9%, France 11.1%, US 5.7%, Netherlands 4.9% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

1.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

banking and financial services, construction, real estate services, iron, metals, and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation and logistics, chemicals, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, biotechnology

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2.1% (2017 est.)

0% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

282,800 (2017 est.)

note

data exclude foreign workers; in addition to the figure for domestic labor force, about 150,000 workers commute daily from France, Belgium, and Germany

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

1.1%

industry

20%

services

78.9% (2013 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$47.13 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$63.17 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$78.64 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

NA

Public Debt

23% of GDP (2017 est.)

20.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

note

data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$878 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$974 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$275.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$229.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

note

NA

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$11.21 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$128.5 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$109.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$275.6 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$229.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

note

see entry for the EU for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes And Other Revenues

44.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

5.8% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

10.72 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

6.475 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

67% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

7.718 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.709 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

334.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

792.8 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

792.8 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

59,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

59,020 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

36 (2017 est.)

total

212,900 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL Group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL Group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services available (2016)

Internet Country Code

.lu

Internet Users

percent of population

97.5% (July 2016 est.)

total

567,698 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

fixed-line teledensity about 46 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated with 134 per 100 mobile-cellular (2017)

general assessment

highly developed, completely automated and efficient system; by 2020 the government’s program is to provide a 1Gb/s service to all citizens, and to make Luxembourg the first fully fibred country in Europe; new law requiring  SIM cards be registered has slowed down growth for mobile subscribers; 5G launch by 2020 (2017)

international

country code - 352 (2016)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

46 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

275,300 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

134 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

794,000 (2017 est.)

Airports

2 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2017)

total

1 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

total

1 (2013)

under 914 m

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

LX (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, container ship 21, general cargo 2, other 126 (2017)

total

152 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

6,309,473,324 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,830,972 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

119 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

3 (2015)

Pipelines

142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

river port(s)

Mertert (Moselle)

Railways

standard gauge

275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014)

total

275 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

2,899 km (includes 152 km of expressways) (2011)

total

2,899 km (2011)

Waterways

37 km (on Moselle River) (2010)

Military Branches

Luxembourg Army (Armee Luxembourgeoise) (2018)

Military Expenditures

0.55% of GDP (2018)

0.52% of GDP (2017)

0.4% of GDP (2016)

0.43% of GDP (2015)

0.42% of GDP (2014)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-24 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2017)

Disputes International

none

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

stateless persons

83 (2017)