2023 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

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; the only grand duchy in the world

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

50.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 24% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)

forest

33.5% (2018 est.)

other

15.8% (2018 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

16.73% (male 57,006/female 53,593)

15-64 years

67.38% (male 228,427/female 216,912)

65 years and over

15.88% (2023 est.) (male 47,951/female 57,035)

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

11.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

5.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.3

potential support ratio

4.7 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

44.2

youth dependency ratio

23

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 98.6% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5% of GDP (2020 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.)

note

note: data represent population by nationality

Gross reproduction rate

0.79 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.3 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 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

85.8 years

male

80.7 years

total population

83.2 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

40.3 years

male

39.3 years

total

39.8 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

31 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Luxembourg

noun

Luxembourger(s)

Net migration rate

11.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.6% (2016)

Physicians density

3.01 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

660,924 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

1.58% (2023 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

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

19.8% (2020 est.)

male

22.4% (2020 est.)

total

21.1% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

92.1% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.1%

male

16.3%

total

15.2% (2021 est.)

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

etymology

the name derives from the Celtic lucilem (little) and the German burg (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the city that grew around the fortress

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 a 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 2020

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

the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the surrounding city and then to the country itself

local long form

Grand Duche de Luxembourg

local short form

Luxembourg

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Thomas M. BARRETT (since 10 February 2022)

email address and website

Luxembourgconsular@state.govhttps://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.luhttps://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 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 Luc FRIEDEN (since 17 November 2023); Deputy Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 17 November 2023)

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, 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

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 29.2%, LSAP 18.9%, DP 18.7%, ADR 9.3%, Green Party 8.6%, Pirate Party 6.7%, The Left 3.9%; seats by party - CSV 21, DP 14, LSAP 11, ADR 5, Green Party 4, Pirate Party 3, The Left 2; composition (as of October 2023) - men 42, women 18, percent of women 30%

elections

last held on 8 October 2023 (next to be held by 31 October 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

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

note

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 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; 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 [Fred KEUP]Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Claude WISELER]Democratic Party or DP [Lex DELLES]Green Party [Djuna BERNARD, Meris SEHOVIC]Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Dan BIANCALANA, Francine CLOSENER]Pirate Party [Starsky FLOR, Rebecca LAU]The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, beef, grapes, rapeseed, oats

Budget

expenditures

$30.014 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$31.74 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1989)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AAA (1994)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$2.459 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$3.496 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$4.141 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$4,581,617,000,000 (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$4,266,792,000,000 (2019 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, EU-member European economy; global financial and information storage leader; high government spending; one of highest GDP per capita countries; unique audit accountancy based on company sizing; aging labor force; hit by COVID-19

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$139.559 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$145.417 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$177.831 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

iron products, cars and vehicle parts, tires, gas turbines, adhesive plastics (2021)

Exports - partners

Germany 23%, France 13%, Belgium 12%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5% (2019)

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)

$71.089 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

34.2 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

23.8% (2000)

lowest 10%

3.5%

Imports

Imports 2019

$116.803 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$121.328 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$148.15 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, scrap iron, aircraft (2019)

Imports - partners

Belgium 27%, Germany 24%, France 11%, Netherlands 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

2.87% (2021 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) 2019

1.74% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.82% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.53% (2021 est.)

Labor force

333,900 (2021 est.)

note

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.)

Population below poverty line

17.5% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

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

Public debt 2016

20.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

23% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$71.016 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$70.45 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$74.045 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.32% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-0.8% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.1% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$114,500 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$111,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$115,700 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$1.055 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$1.119 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$2.921 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.13% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

5.59% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

6.77% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

5.23% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.1%

male

16.3%

total

15.2% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

149,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.594 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

9.564 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

11.308 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

65,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

74,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

6.188 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

1.079 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

6.543 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.899 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

156 million kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

36.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

13.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

7.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

14.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

27.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

310.068 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

776.022 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

772.624 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

63,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 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

38 (2020 est.)

total

235,155 (2020 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

Internet country code

.lu

Internet users

percent of population

99% (2021 est.)

total

633,600 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity about 42 per 100 persons; 140 per 100 mobile-cellular subscriptions (2021)

general assessment

Luxembourg has a small telecom sector; there remains some pressure from regulatory measures, though no further reductions to fixed and mobile interconnection tariffs have been imposed through to 2024; high mobile penetration has slowed subscriber growth in the mobile market since 2005, though a recent law requiring SIM card registration has not had an adverse effect on the number of mobile subscribers despite network operators deactivating unregistered cards (2021)

international

country code - 352

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

270,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

140 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

880,000 (2021 est.)

Airports

2 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

LX

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 27, oil tanker 3, other 114

total

149 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

7,323,040,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

2,099,102 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

66

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Mertert (Moselle)

Railways

total

271 km (2020) 262 km electrified

Roadways

total

2,875 km (2019)

Waterways

37 km (2010) (on Moselle River)

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 multinational operations in such places as Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Mali, Mozambique, and Uganda; 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 1949the combat forces of the Luxembourg Army are two companies of infantry and reconnaissance troops; the Army has no combat aircraft; 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 (2023)

Military and security forces

Luxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2023)

note

note: the Grand Ducal Police maintain internal security and report to the Ministry of Internal Security

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 900 active personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of Luxembourg's Army is a small mix of Western origin equipment (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

0.6% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.6% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.5% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-26 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 1969) (2023)

note

note 1: since 2003, the Army has allowed EU citizens 18-24 years of age who have been a resident in the country for at least 36 months to volunteernote 2: 2023, women made up about 12% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

6,065 (Ukraine) (as of 11 August 2023)

stateless persons

174 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA; established 2018) (2023)

Space program overview

aims to be the commercial space hub for Europe; LSA established largely to develop space policy, encourage and coordinate commercial space ventures, support space education, and to promote the country’s space-related capabilities internationally; has set up policy and funding initiatives aimed at encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship and attracting space-based industries; focused on developing commercial satellites and infrastructure (Luxembourg is home to some of the largest commercial satellite companies in the world), as well as other space sector capabilities and technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, remote sensing (RS), communications, and software; member of the European Space Agency (ESA), participates in ESA programs, and cooperates with individual ESA and EU member states; also has relations with other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UAE, and the US (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

8.99 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

0.61 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

8.89 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

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-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

Land use

agricultural land

50.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 24% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)

forest

33.5% (2018 est.)

other

15.8% (2018 est.)

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.5 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

400,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

1.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

92.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

356,000 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

100,997 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

28.4% (2015 est.)