49.3 % of residents in Luxembourg are born abroad

19 January 2024

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Diversity in Luxembourg

Most of the inhabitants of Luxembourg’s rural areas were born in the country, while more than two thirds of the inhabitants of the urban centre were born abroad.

© LMIH/Focalize

According to Luxembourg’s government statistics service STATEC, a new report based on data from the 2021 census, details the geographical distribution of immigrants in Luxembourg.

Immigrants in urban centres

Throughout Luxembourg, there is a notable presence of foreign-born residents, who represent an average of 49.3% of the population (643,941 total inhabitants) according to the 2021 census. Nevertheless, the percentages vary at the municipal level, ranging from 21.8% in Wahl to 72.7% in Luxembourg City.

Taking a closer look at where these immigrants reside within the country, the report finds that there is a high concentration of foreign-born residents in neighbourhoods in and around the capital as well as along the borders (13% of the entire population is from a neighbouring Germany, Belgium or France).

Luxembourg’s rich diversity

Take a stroll in any street of a Luxembourgish town or city and you will hear it: Luxembourg is home to large foreign communities, including descendants of 19th and 20th century migrants, expats, and people who decided to stay when they visited Luxembourg.

Within Luxembourg with a total of 170 nationalities recorded across the country.

Here is a list of Luxembourg’s five largest foreign communities, as a percentage of the total population:

Portuguese	14.8%
French	7.6%
Italian	3.7%
Belgian	3%
German	2%

source: https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/population/demographics.html

Luxembourg is the most attractive European country for international jobseekers

In addition, the 2022 report “Brain gain or drain? How shifts in international job search are accelerating global competition for talent” by Indeed Hiring Lab, ranked Luxembourg as the most attractive destination for international jobseekers. Discover the article in the box below.

Luxembourg ranked 1st in EU employment attractivity poll

Employment of diplomaed young people in Science & Technology: Luxembourg ranks 1st in the EU

According to Eurostat, Luxembourg ranks 1st in the EU for its share of diplomaed young people employed in the field of science and technology. With 54.1% of diplomaed young people employed in Science and Technology, is the only country (and/or region) where more than half of all economically active young people were HRST (Human Resources in Science and Technology).

This high proportion can be explained by Luxembourg having the highest rate (62.6%) of people aged 25 to 34 with a diploma from a university or higher education institution, well above the EU average of 41%.

Why do researchers choose Luxembourg as a research destination?

The multicultural environment and collaborative nature of interdisciplinary research is one of the most rewarding elements of doing research here in Luxembourg.
India Pinker (Luxembourg Institute of Health)

Read full article to discover India Pinker’s portrait

Given the fact that Luxembourg strongly promotes research, a lot of financial support is provided for building state-of-the-art laboratories to conduct world-class research. We can thus perform our research with newer infrastructures equipped with the latest generation of mobile robots, latest and powerful computing and latest generation of sensors.
Hriday Bavle (University of Luxembourg)