2020 Edition

Background

Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and a constituent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna. When Belgium declared independence from the Netherlands in 1839, Luxembourg lost more than half of its territory to Belgium but gained a larger measure of autonomy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Luxembourg gained full independence in 1867 by promising to remain permanently neutral. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, its neutrality ended in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and 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

highest point

Buurgplaatz 559 m

lowest point

Moselle River 133 m

mean elevation

325 m

Geographic coordinates

49 45 N, 6 10 E

Geography - note

landlocked

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belgium 130 km; France 69 km; Germany 128 km

total

327 km

Land use

agricultural land

51.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 23.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.1% (2023 est.)

forest

34.5% (2023 est.)

other

13.9% (2023 est.)

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage

Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

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

16.7% (male 57,921/female 54,484)

15-64 years

67.1% (male 231,214/female 219,497)

65 years and over

16.1% (2024 est.) (male 49,567/female 58,571)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

4.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.14 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

4.73 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

9.24 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.1% (2022 est.)

Death rate

6.66 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

23.4 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

4.3 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

46.6 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

23.2 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.6% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

3.7% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

8.5% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Luxembourger 52.9%, Portuguese 14.5%, French 7.6%, Italian 3.7%, Belgian 3%, German 2%, Spanish 1.3%, Romania 1%, other 14% (2022 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.62 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

5.5% of GDP (2022)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

11% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Luxembourgish (official administrative, judicial, and national language) 48.9%, Portuguese 15.4%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 14.9%, Italian 3.6%, English 3.6%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 2.9%, other 10.8% (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.9 years

male

80.9 years

total population

83.4 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

40.4 years

male

39.4 years

total

40.1 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Luxembourg

noun

Luxembourger(s)

Net migration rate

10.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.6% (2016)

Physician density

2.98 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

female

332,552

male

338,702

total

671,254 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

1.26% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.6%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.4%, unaffiliated 26.7% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2022 est.)

male

14 years (2022 est.)

total

14 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

19.9% (2025 est.)

male

22.1% (2025 est.)

total

21% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

92.1% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

12 cantons; 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

etymology

probably derived from an early Celtic or Germanic form of the name, Lucilinburhuc, that was thought to mean "little fortress;" the name first referred to the city and was later used for the country

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

amendment process

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 a quarter of the Chamber members or by 25,000 valid voters; adoption by referendum requires a majority of all valid voters

history

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

Country name

conventional long form

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

conventional short form

Luxembourg

etymology

probably derived from an early Celtic or Germanic form of the name, Lucilinburhuc, that was thought to mean "little fortress;" the name first referred to the city and was later used for the country

local long form

Grand Duché de Luxembourg

local short form

Luxembourg

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Stacey FEINBERG (since 13 November 2025)

email address and website

Luxembourgconsular@state.gov https://lu.usembassy.gov/

embassy

22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

FAX

[352] 46-14-01

mailing address

5380 Luxembourg Place, Washington DC 20521-5380

telephone

[352] 46-01-23-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Nicole BINTNER-BAKSHIAN (since 15 August 2021)

consulate(s) general

New York, San Francisco

email address and website

washington.amb@mae.etat.lu https://washington.mae.lu/en.html

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 GUILLAUME (since 3 October 2025)

election/appointment process

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

head of government

Prime Minister Luc FRIEDEN (since 17 November 2023)

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue history: the colors are derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms

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, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2028

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des députés)

most recent election date

10/8/2023

number of seats

60 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Christian Social People's Party (CSV) (21); Democratic Party (PD/DP) (14); Socialist Workers' Party (POSL/LSAP) (11); Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) (5); Greens (DEI GRÉNG) (4); Pirate Party (PIRATEN) (3); Other (2)

percentage of women in chamber

35%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 1919; royal anthem, for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg

lyrics/music

Nikolaus WELTER

title

“De Wilhelmus” (The William)

National color(s)

red, white, light blue

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Luxembourg City Old Quarters and Fortifications

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

National Day (birthday of Grand Duke HENRI), 23 June

National symbol(s)

red rampant lion

Political parties

Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR  Christian Social People's Party or CSV  Democratic Party or DP  Green Party  Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP  Pirate Party  The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, grapes, beef, rye, rapeseed (2023)

Budget

expenditures

$38.263 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$37.951 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$7.509 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$9.861 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$12.877 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income EU and eurozone economy; global, highly capitalized banking sector; one of highest GDP-per-capita countries; strengthened domestic demand and lower interest rates contributing to economic growth; challenges include pension-system sustainability, labor-market dynamics, and energy price volatility

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$184.53 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$195.294 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$202.203 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

iron blocks, gas turbines, plastic products, rubber tires, plastics (2023)

Exports - partners

Germany 18%, France 15%, Belgium 8%, Netherlands 7%, Italy 6% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

217.8% (2023 est.)

government consumption

18.6% (2023 est.)

household consumption

31.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-186.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

16.1% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.3% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.2% (2024 est.)

industry

9% (2024 est.)

services

81.9% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$93.197 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022

34.1 (2022 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25.6% (2022 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2022 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$149.751 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$156.818 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$160.032 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, electricity, plastic products, gas turbines (2023)

Imports - partners

Belgium 26%, Germany 23%, France 10%, Netherlands 5%, USA 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.1% (2024 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.3% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.1% (2024 est.)

Labor force

350,000 (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

17.3% (2021 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2017

23% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$86.584 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$85.984 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$86.871 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

-1.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-0.7% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$132,600 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$129,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$128,200 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

2.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

2.8% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

2.6% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$2.874 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$2.977 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$2.789 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.2% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

4.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

24.2% (2024 est.)

male

16.9% (2024 est.)

total

20.2% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

34,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

30.2 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

34,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

5.87 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

1.188 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

6.39 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

2.212 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

141.867 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

32.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

10.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

-35.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) note: Luxembourg has negative net hydroelectric power generation based on losses from use of pumped storage hydropower

solar

37.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

55.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

224.651 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

556.63 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

552.714 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

51,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

38 (2022 est.)

total

250,000 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media

long national tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences; 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, Société Européenne 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

Internet country code

.lu

Internet users

percent of population

99% (2024 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

260,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

137 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

961,000 (2023 est.)

Airports

3 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LX

Heliports

11 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, container ship 1, general cargo 24, oil tanker 4, other 115

total

147 (2023)

Railways

total

271 km (2020) 262 km electrified

Military - note

founded in 1881, the Luxembourg Army is responsible for the defense of the country and fulfilling the Grand Duchy’s commitments to NATO, European security, and international peacekeeping, as well as providing support to civil authorities in the event of emergencies, such as floods or disease outbreaks; the Army is an active participant in EU, NATO, and UN missions and has contributed small numbers of troops to a number of multinational operations in parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia; it trains and exercises regularly with EU and NATO partners and has contributed to the NATO battlegroup forward deployed in Lithuania since 2017; Luxembourg was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) establishing NATO in 1949 in 2015, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed an agreement to conduct joint air policing of their territories; under the agreement, which went into effect in January 2017, the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces trade responsibility for patrolling the skies over the three countries (2025)

Military and security forces

Luxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 900 active military personnel (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Luxembourg Army has a small mix of Western origin equipment (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2021

0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

1.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

2% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 1969) (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

14,344 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

85 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1980s - began creating a satellite telecommunications infrastructure for Europe 2014 - first privately built probe to successfully fly by the Moon (launched by China) 2018 - developed communications satellite (GOVSAT-1) to support the EU’s secure communications and space situational awareness program (GOVSATCOM) 2020 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration and agreed to join the Moon exploration mission 2021 - launched Luxembourg’s Quantum Communications Infrastructure project (LuxQCI) in support of the EU’s Quantum Communications Infrastructure (EuroQCI) 2025 - launched the Luxembourg Earth Observation System (LUXEOSys) satellite, part of a national space-based remote sensing program

Space agency/agencies

the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA; established 2018) (2025)

Space program overview

Luxembourg Space Agency was established in 2018 to develop space policy, encourage and coordinate commercial space ventures, support space education, and promote the country’s space-related capabilities internationally; has a national space strategy; has set up policy and funding initiatives (such as LuxIMPULSE) to encourage research, development, innovation, and entrepreneurship and attract space-based industries; focuses on developing commercial satellites and infrastructure, as well as other capabilities and technologies; hosts some of the largest commercial satellite companies in the world; member of the ESA since 2005 and participates in a variety of ESA programs; cooperates bilaterally with individual ESA and EU member states; also works with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UAE, and the US (2025)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

75,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

7.496 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

8.715 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air and water pollution in urban areas; soil pollution of farmland

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Mëllerdall (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

1

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Environmental Modification

Particulate matter emissions

9.2 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

490,000 cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

1.83 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

43.53 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

490,300 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

42% (2022 est.)