Map of Luxembourg | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany

Geographic coordinates: 49 45 N, 6 10 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 2,586 km²
Land: 2,586 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 327 km
Border countries: (3) Belgium 130 km; , France 69 km; , Germany 128 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

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

Elevation
Highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
Lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
Mean elevation: 325 m

Natural resources: iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 24% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 33.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 15.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Rhine-Maas (198,735 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 43.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 1.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 400,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional flooding

Geography
Note: landlocked; the only grand duchy in the world


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Population
Distribution: most people live in the south, on or near the border with France: 639,589 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 1.7% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 17.5% (2018 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Luxembourger(s)
Adjective: Luxembourg

Ethnic groups: Luxembourger 51.1%, Portuguese 15.7%, French 7.5%, Italian 3.6%, Belgian 3.3%, German 2.1%, Spanish 1.1%, British 1%, other 14.6% (2019 est.)
Note: data represent population by nationality

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.)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.73% (male 54,099/female 51,004)
15-24 years: 11.78% (male 37,946/female 36,061)
25-54 years: 43.93% (male 141,535/female 134,531)
55-64 years: 12.19% (male 39,289/female 37,337)
65 years and over: 15.37% (male 43,595/female 52,984) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 42.8
Youth dependency ratio: 22.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.5
Potential support ratio: 4.9 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 39.5 years
Male: 38.9 years
Female: 40 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.7% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 11.62 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 7.26 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.65 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 91.7% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 8.99 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.61 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 31.1 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.87 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.78 years
Male: 80.31 years
Female: 85.39 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.63 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 98.8% of population
Improved total: 99% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 1.2% of population
Unimproved total: 1% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 5.3% (2018)

Physicians density: 3.01 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 4.3 beds/1000 population (2019)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 99.9% of population
Improved total: 100% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 0.1% of population
Unimproved total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1,200 (2018 est.)
Deaths: <100 (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.6% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2018)

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2019)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 23.2%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 24.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 21.3% (2020 est.)


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Country name
Conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Conventional short form: Luxembourg
Local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
Local 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

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Luxembourg
Geographic coordinates: 49 36 N, 6 07 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 1839 (from the Netherlands)

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

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

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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 descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Luxembourg
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Chief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
Head of government: Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Francois BAUSCH (since 11 October 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Daniel KERSCH (since 4 February 2020)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the monarch
Elections and 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

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
Elections: last held on 14 October 2018 (next to be held by 31 October 2023)
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 (as of September 2021) - men 39, women 21, percent of women 35%

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

Political parties and leaders: Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS]
Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Felix EISCHEN]
Democratic Party or DP [Corinne CAHEN]
Green Party [Djuna BERNARD, Meris SEHOVIC]
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Yves CRUCHTEN]
The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee]
other minor parties

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nicole BINTNER-BAKSHIAN (since 19 August 2021)
In the us chancery: 2,200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-4,171
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-8,270
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Casey MACE (since 20 January 2021)
From the us embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2,535 Luxembourg City
From the us mailing address: 5,380 Luxembourg Place, Washington DC  20,521-5,380
From the us telephone: [352] 46-01-23-00
From the us FAX: [352] 46-14-01
From the us email address and website:

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)

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

National anthem
Name: 'Ons Heemecht' (Our Motherland); 'De Wilhelmus' (The William)
Lyrics and music: Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown
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


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 2.31% (2019 est.)

3.14% (2018 est.)

1.81% (2017 est.)

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 30.2% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 230% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -194% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 12.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 86.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: milk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, beef, grapes, rapeseed, oats

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 476,000 (2020 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
By occupation agriculture: 1.1%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 78.9% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate: 5.36% (2019 est.)

5.46% (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 23.2%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 24.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 21.3% (2020 est.)

Population below poverty line: 17.5% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 34.9 (2017 est.)

26 (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.5%
Highest 10: 23.8% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $27.75 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $26.8 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 44.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 23% of GDP (2017 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

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2019 est.)

1.5% (2018 est.)

1.7% (2017 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: $3.254 billion (2019 est.)

$3.296 billion (2018 est.)

Exports: $137.09 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$133.59 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$136.11 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: Germany 23%, France 13%, Belgium 12%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5% (2019)
Commodities: iron and iron products, tires, cars, broadcasting equipment, clothing and apparel  (2019)

Imports: $110.1 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

$108.29 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$110.28 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: Belgium 27%, Germany 24%, France 11%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Commodities: cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, scrap iron, aircraft (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $878 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$974 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $4,266,792,000,000 (2019 est.)

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

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 334.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 6.475 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: $1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports: 7.718 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.709 million kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 67% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption: 59,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports: 59,020 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 792.8 million m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 792.8 million m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 268,090 (2020)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42.83 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 890,000 (2020)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 142.2 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

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
Users total: 612,100 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 98.82% (2020 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 235,155 (2020)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37.57 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures: 0.57% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.54% of GDP (2019)

0.5% of GDP (2018)

0.51% of GDP (2017)

0.39% of GDP (2016)

Military and security forces: Luxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2021)

Military service age and obligation: 18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 1969); Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2021)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 66
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,099,102 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,323,040,000 mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: LX

Airports
Total: 2 (2013)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2019)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 275 km (2014)
Standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014)

Roadways
Total: 2,875 km (2019)

Waterways: 37 km (on Moselle River) (2010)

Merchant marine
Total: 153
By type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 23, oil tanker 3, other 122 (2021)

Ports and terminals
River ports: Mertert (Moselle)


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 194 (2020)

Illicit drugs