Page last updated on January 31, 2014
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. Full independence was attained in 1867. 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 European Economic Community (later the European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area. In January 2013, Luxembourg assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.
Western Europe, between France and Germany
total: 2,586 sq km
country comparison to the world: 179
land: 2,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
slightly smaller than Rhode Island
total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km
modified continental with mild winters, cool summers
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
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m
iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
arable land: 23.9%
permanent crops: 0.58%
other: 75.52% (includes Belgium) (2011)
total: 0.06 cu km/yr (65%/33%/1%)
per capita: 135.9 cu m/yr (2010)
air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland
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
landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world
noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg
Luxembourger 63.1%, Portuguese 13.3%, French 4.5%, Italian 4.3%, German 2.3%, other EU 7.3%, other 5.2% (2000 census)
Luxembourgish (official administrative language and national language (spoken vernacular)), French (official administrative language), German (official administrative language)
Roman Catholic 87%, other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000)
514,862 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
0-14 years: 18% (male 47,679/female 44,812)
15-24 years: 12.6% (male 33,182/female 31,860)
25-54 years: 42.3% (male 109,075/female 108,922)
55-64 years: 11.8% (male 30,481/female 30,422)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 32,892/female 45,537) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 46.5 %
youth dependency ratio: 25.7 %
elderly dependency ratio: 20.8 %
potential support ratio: 4.8 (2013)
total: 39.6 years
male: 38.5 years
female: 40.6 years (2013 est.)
1.13% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
11.72 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
8.52 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
8.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
urban population: 85% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
LUXEMBOURG (capital) 90,000 (2009)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 142
total: 4.33 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 193
male: 4.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 79.88 years
country comparison to the world: 36
male: 76.64 years
female: 83.33 years (2013 est.)
1.77 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
7.7% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 70
2.78 physicians/1,000 population (2011)
5.4 beds/1,000 population (2010)
0.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
26% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 50
3.8% of GDP (2001)
country comparison to the world: 118
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% (2000 est.)
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2010)
total: 18.8%
country comparison to the world: 64
male: 18.9%
female: 18.6% (2012)
conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg
local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg
local short form: Luxembourg
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
3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
1839 (from the Netherlands)
National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June; note - the actual date of birth was 23 January 1896, but the festivities were shifted by five months to allow observance during a more favorable time of year
previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1968; amended many times, last in 2008 (2008)
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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 Etienne SCHNEIDER (since 4 December 2013)
cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies
note: government coalition - DP, LSAP, and the Green Party (first time since 1979 that the CSV is in opposition)
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 20 October 2013 (next to be held by June 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 33.7%, LSAP 20.3%, DP 18.3%, Green Party 10.1%, ADR 6.6%, The Left 4.5%, other 6.1%; seats by party - CSV 23, LSAP 13, DP 13, Green Party 6, ADR 3, The Left 2
note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister
highest court(s): Superior 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: district and local tribunals and courts
Alternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS]
ABBL (bankers' association) [Ernst Wilhelm CONTZEN]
ADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), 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, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Louis WOLZFELD (since 11 September 2012)
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 through 72
FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert MANDELL (since 25 October 2011)
embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City
mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail)
telephone: [352] 46-01-23
FAX: [352] 46-14-01
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)
name: "Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William)
lyrics/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
This small, stable, high-income economy - benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany - has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial sector, which now accounts for about 27% of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned and have extensive foreign dealings, but Luxembourg has lost some of its advantages as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 40% of its labor force. Luxembourg, like all EU members, suffered from the global economic crisis that began in late 2008, but unemployment has trended below the EU average. Following strong expansion from 2004 to 2007, Luxembourg's economy contracted 3.6% in 2009, but rebounded in 2010-11 before slowing again in 2012. The country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living - GDP per capita ranks among the highest in the world, and is the highest in the euro zone. Turmoil in the world financial markets and lower global demand during 2008-09 prompted the government to inject capital into the banking sector and implement stimulus measures to boost the economy. Government stimulus measures and support for the banking sector, however, led to a 5% government budget deficit in 2009. Nevertheless, the deficit was cut to 1.1% in 2011 and 0.9% in 2012. Even during the financial crisis and recovery, Luxembourg retained the highest current account surplus as a share of GDP in the euro zone, owing largely to their strength in financial services. Public debt remains among the lowest of the region although it has more than doubled since 2007 as percentage of GDP. Luxembourg's economy, while stabile, grew slowly in 2012 due to ongoing weak growth in the euro area. Authorities have strengthened supervision of domestic banks because of their exposure to the activities of foreign banks.
$41.86 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
$56.37 billion (2012 est.)
0.3% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
$78,000 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
note: data are in 2012 US dollars
household consumption: 31.2%
government consumption: 16.9%
investment in fixed capital: 21.6%
investment in inventories: 1.3%
exports of goods and services: 171%
imports of goods and services: -142.1%
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 13.5%
services: 86.1% (2012 est.)
grapes, barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits; dairy and livestock products
banking and financial services, iron and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism
-2.9% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
208,200
country comparison to the world: 168
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 (2012 est.)
agriculture: 2.2%
industry: 17.2%
services: 80.6% (2007 est.)
6.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)
26 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 130
revenues: $24.07 billion
expenditures: $24.53 billion (2012 est.)
42.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
-0.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
20.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
note: data cover general government debt, and includes 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 intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental 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
2.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
1.5% (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 128
note: this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area
$89.87 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
note: see entry for the European Union for money supply in the euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 17 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
$229.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
$97.39 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
$67.63 billion (31 December 2011)
country comparison to the world: 42
$3.272 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
$15.93 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass
Germany 21.5%, France 15.5%, Belgium 14.5%, UK 5.8%, Italy 5.6%, Switzerland 4.7% (2012)
$23.78 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods
Belgium 30.6%, Germany 23.6%, France 10.4%, US 8.3%, China 7.2%, Netherlands 5.1% (2012)
$991 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
$2.643 trillion (31 December 2012)
country comparison to the world: 7
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
2.07 billion kWh (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
6.445 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
2.623 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
6.684 billion kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
1.723 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
28.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
5.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 155
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
61,380 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
52.22 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
56,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
1.364 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
1.206 billion cu m (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 162
11.87 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
266,700 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 122
761,300 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 161
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: fixed line teledensity over 50 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated
international: country code - 352 (2010)
Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services to 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 (2008)
250,900 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 68
424,500 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 121
2 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 202
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
gas 142 km; refined products 27 km (2013)
total: 275 km
country comparison to the world: 123
standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (243 km electrified) (2008)
total: 2,899 km
country comparison to the world: 167
paved: 2,899 km (includes 152 km of expressways) (2011)
37 km (on Moselle River) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105
total: 49
country comparison to the world: 71
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 20, container 10, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 12
foreign-owned: 48 (Belgium 11, Denmark 1, France 15, Germany 9, Japan 3, Netherlands 3, Switzerland 1, UK 5)
registered in other countries: 18 (Italy 14, Malta 3, Panama 1) (2010)
river port(s): Mertert (Moselle)
Luxembourg Army (L'Armee Luxembourgeoises) (2013)
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 (2012)
males age 16-49: 118,665
females age 16-49: 117,456 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 97,290
females age 16-49: 96,361 (2010 est.)
male: 3,263
female: 3,084 (2010 est.)
0.6% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 367
