EU Nationals make up 93% of Luxembourg Population

Almost 93% of the Luxembourg population comes from one of the 28 EU member states, according to a recent publication by Statec.

To celebrate Europe Day, this 9 May 2019, Statec has published statistics on the demographics of EU nationals residing in the Grand Duchy. The publication showed that Luxembourg residents currently make up 0.12% of the population of the EU. This share has generally increased over the years (0.09% in 2000) and is expected to increase further according to the population projections made by EUROSTAT, reaching 0.21% in 2080.

At the national level, 92.6% of the country's 613,894 inhabitants were EU nationals (568,483 people). With 322,430 people, Luxembourgers were the largest European community in the Grand Duchy, making up 52.5% of the total population. Portuguese nationals were by far the largest foreign European community in Luxembourg with 95,516 people or 15.6% of the total population. These were followed by French (7.6% of the total population), Italian (3.7%), Belgian (3.3%) and German (2.1%) nationals.

Indeed, as of 1 January 2019, 40.1% of the Luxembourg population were nationals of the other 27 EU member states. Portuguese nationals again made up the largest group (32.8%) within the foreign population, followed by French (16.1%), Italian (7.7%), Belgian (6.8%) and German nationals (4.5%). In light of Brexit, the number of naturalisations of British citizens in Luxembourg has risen by 827.9%, from 43 in 2011 to 399 in 2018. Indeed, the 5,766 British nationals form the 7th largest foreign community in the country. 

This strong EU presence in Luxembourg can largely be explained by an attractive wage economy, the single market, high labour mobility within the EU due to the Schengen agreement and the presence of several European institutions in the Luxembourg capital.

Moreover, as of 1 January 2019, the average age of the population in Luxembourg was 40.2 for women and 38.7 for men. Luxembourgers were on average older than nationals of the other 27 member states; the average age of Luxembourgish women was 42.7 compared to 38 for other female EU nationals and the average age of Luxembourgish men was 40.1 compared to 38.1 for men from other EU member states.

Finally, 71.9% of the country's 24,644 immigrants and 83.7% of its 13,985 emigrants in 2018 were associated with nationals of the 28 EU member states. The majority of migration flows from Luxembourg were therefore carried out by European nationals.