15 interesting facts about the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg may be very small, but there are many things to say about this state, located in the south of Belgium. Each year, the Luxembourg-based Statistical Institute of Statec publishes a report containing the most important data on the smallest member state in Benelux. We have selected 15 amazing facts.

1. More than 170 nationalities live side by side in Luxembourg

In total, last year only 613,900 people lived in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Nevertheless, they were distributed to more than 170 different nationalities. About 52.5% of the population are of Luxembourgish descent. Surprisingly, 15.6% of the inhabitants are from Portugal. After that, the French are most represented with 7.6%. Belgians make up 3.3% of the population of Luxembourg, Italians (3.7%) and Germans (2.1%) are also well represented.
About 7.4% of the population of Luxembourg are citizens of countries outside the European Union.

2. One sixth of the population lives in the same city

It is not surprising, of course, that most Luxembourgers live in the capital. The city of Luxembourg is home to 119,200 people, representing more than one sixth of the population. This is comparable to the number of inhabitants of Bruges, for example. Other important cities are Esch-sur-Alzette (35,400), Differdange (26,800) and Dudelange (21,100).

3. It uses mainly five languages

Here in Luxembourg every day they speak different languages. Officially, Luxembourgish or Lateburg languages ​​are the national language. French is also an official language in Luxembourg. For the administration, the German language is also officially adopted.
As a major financial and economic center, English is also often used in a business environment. And due to the large number of Portuguese in Luxembourg, Portuguese is an important language in the family life of the country.

4. Most of the territory consists of farmland

At least 85.2% of the area of ​​the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is agricultural land. In addition, 9.7% is cultivated, and the network of roads (including railways) is 4.5%. The country also has 600 kilometers of bike paths.

5. Luxembourg has one of the best healthcare systems in the world

For many years, Luxembourg has always been at the top of the list of countries that, according to the Legatum Prosperity Index, can offer their citizens the best possible medical care. This year, Singapore should dominate the world rankings. Japan and Switzerland follow immediately after Luxembourg.
Over 95% of Luxembourg's population is covered by health insurance. In 2017, only 1.4% of medical expenses were covered by families, which is the lowest level among all OECD countries.

6. Young Luxembourg University is already one of the best in the world

Although the University of Luxembourg was established only in 2003, it is already among the 250 best universities in the world. At World University Rankings, University of Luxembourg ranks 179th. In the ranking of the youngest universities - institutions that opened in the 21st century - Luxembourg is even the fourth. The University of Antwerp occupies a beautiful seventh place.
About 57% of students at the University of Luxembourg are of foreign origin. The distribution by gender is well balanced: 50/50 students.

7. Belgium is the main trading partner of Luxembourg

It mainly trades with the countries of the European Union (92.1% of its imports). As a neighboring country, Belgium is the most important partner. About 35.8% of Luxembourg's imports are in our country. And 11.9% of exports are destined for Belgium.
Other neighboring countries, Germany and France, are also important trading partners of Luxembourg. From 3% to 5% of imports and exports come from countries in Asia and America.

8. The chemical industry is very important

About 12% of imports and exports are concentrated in chemical products. Metal is also very important for Luxembourg exports.

9. Post Luxembourg Group is the main employer
At the beginning of 2019, the Post Luxembourg Group hired 4,540 Luxembourgers. This makes her the largest employer in the country. CFL Group, Cactus Group and Dussmann Luxembourg Group also have over 4,000 employees.
A few years ago, ArcelorMittal was the largest employer in Luxembourg. Today, 3,800 people work there, slightly less than at BNP Paribas. Goodyear also employs over 3,000 people in Luxembourg.

10. Luxembourg has a research center for artificial intelligence

Luxembourg is the first country in Europe to open a joint research center for artificial intelligence. Under an agreement with Nvidia, researchers will receive hardware and software that will allow them to learn how to use artificial intelligence in various national sectors, such as finance, healthcare and security.

11. Luxembourg produces more than 110,000 hectoliters of wine per year

Luxembourg is also an important wine country. This wine comes from grapes grown on the banks of the Moselle, near the German border. In general, the country produces at least 110,000 hectoliters of wine per year, most of which is exported to Belgium. After it, Germany is the largest buyer of wine in Luxembourg.
Rivaner is the most important grape variety for Luxembourgers, followed by the white varieties Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Blanc.

12. Luxembourg has 140 different banks

When someone thinks about Luxembourg, he immediately thinks about money, because in the Grand Duchy many banks have been created. In 2017, 140 operating banks operated, which is the lowest indicator since 1994. Nevertheless, a record 26,000 people currently work in the banking sector of Luxembourg.
The fact that Luxembourg mainly serves the international banking world is confirmed by the fact that only seven banks come from the country itself. In total, Luxembourg has 25 German banks, as well as 14 Chinese, 14 French and 12 Swiss banks. Belgium has three banks in a neighboring country. The rest is a mishmash of nationalities with banks in the UK, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Brazil, the USA and Spain.

13. The country is still always owned by the Triple A club

Only eleven countries are rated AAA by international rating agencies. A few years ago there were many more. In addition to Luxembourg, they include Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Canada and the United States.

14. Luxembourg’s national proverb says: “Mir wëlle bléiwe wat mir sin”

And that means: "We want to remain who we are." Luxembourgers want to make it clear that they want to remain independent from countries that throughout history have tried to annex the Grand Duchy. Especially neighboring countries are Belgium, France and Germany.

15. The Schengen Convention was born in Luxembourg

Schengen is a village on the border between Luxembourg, France and Germany. Officially, it belongs to Luxembourg, but the border zone is located somewhere in the Moselle, which passes through the village. The famous treaty was signed here in 1985. Then the leaders of the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and France agreed to abolish border controls and allow free movement of people.
Later, many other countries signed an agreement. Schengen currently has 22 member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Great Britain and Ireland agreed to refuse.