Luxembourg Travel Podcast with Marie Schmit

Location

Western Europe, between France and Germany

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

Climate

Modified continental with mild winters, cool summers

Elevation

Highest point

Buurgplaatz 559 m

Lowest point

Moselle River 133 m

Mean elevation

325 m

Area

Total

2,586 sq km

Land

2,586 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delaware

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

327 km

Border countries

Belgium 130 km; France 69 km; Germany 128 km

Natural resources

Iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land

Land use

Agricultural land

51.7% (2023 est.)

Arable land

23.8% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

27.1% (2023 est.)

Forest

34.5% (2023 est.)

Other

13.9% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Occasional flooding

Note

Landlocked

Population

Total

671,254 (2024 est.)

Male

338,702

Female

332,552

Nationality

Noun

Luxembourger(s)

Adjective

Luxembourg

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.)

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.)

Religions

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

Median age

Total

40.1 years (2025 est.)

Male

39.4 years

Female

40.4 years

Life expectancy

Total population

83.4 years (2024 est.)

Male

80.9 years

Female

85.9 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

92.1% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)

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.

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Capital

Luxembourg

Time zone

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Grand Duché de Luxembourg

Independence

1839 (from the Netherlands)

National day

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

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

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$128,200 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$129,000 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$132,600 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.1% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.7% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.3% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

6% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

5.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

4.6% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main 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

Agriculture

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

Airports

3 (2025)

Railways

Total 271 km (2020) 262 km electrified

Internet domain

.lu

Internet users

Percent of population 99% (2024 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

961,000 (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

137 (2021 est.)

Environmental issues

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

Fresh water

3.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Global geoparks and regional networks

Mëllerdall (2023)