How many people live in Luxembourg, and who they are

Luxembourg is small in numbers, but its population is one of the most interesting in Europe. Nearly half don’t hold a Luxembourg passport, people routinely speak three or four languages, and every morning a workforce equal to about a third of the residents crosses in from next door. Here are the official 2026 figures and what they mean for a visitor.

690,959 people, and growing more slowly

According to STATEC, the statistics office, Luxembourg had 690,959 residents on 1 January 2026. It added 9,027 people during 2025, or 1.3%, and STATEC itself points out that’s slower than over the past decade, when growth ran at 2 to 2.5% a year. Two figures explain why. Arrivals were 24,985 and departures 17,141, with less migration than in previous years according to STATEC, and fertility fell to 1.23 children per woman, the lowest on record.

Density is 267 people per km², more than twice the EU average of 109.7. But people aren’t spread evenly. The cantons of Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette alone hold more than 410,000 residents, and the north is far emptier. You can see it canton by canton in cantons of Luxembourg.

Nearly half are foreign nationals

This is the figure that surprises people. On 1 January 2026 there were 322,050 foreign nationals living in the country, 46.6% of the population, from around 180 countries. The Portuguese are by far the largest community, with 88,300 people, 12.8% of the total. Then come the French, with 49,300, the Italians, with 25,500, the Belgians and the Germans. Portuguese, French and Italians together make up half of all foreign residents. From outside the EU, the largest group is Ukrainian, with 6,028 people, followed by Indian, with 5,728. And one telling detail, 11.8% of those foreign nationals were born in Luxembourg, so they’re foreign on paper only.

The STATEC figures I’ve read don’t break out British residents, so I can’t give you a number I’d stand behind. Spaniards, for the record, number 10,300.

History explains the mix. According to the official portal, the country was a land of emigration until steel changed everything. In 1908 around 16,000 Luxembourg emigrants were living in Chicago. Then came Germans in the later 19th century, Italians in the early 20th and Portuguese in the 1960s. In 2025 there were also 8,223 naturalisations, another sign of how the country is changing.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

The capital, even more mixed

Luxembourg City had 137,700 residents in 2026, according to STATEC, nearly one in five of the country’s population. There, the share of foreign nationals rises to 70.8%. The city keeps its own count too, 137,696 residents on 31 December 2025, spread across 24 official districts. Next come Esch-sur-Alzette, with 38,300, Differdange, with 31,400, Dudelange, with 22,400, and Pétange, with 21,300. The other communes and their figures are in towns in Luxembourg.

The 237,200 who don’t live there

On top of the resident population come the cross-border workers. In 2025 an average of 237,200 came in every working day, 124,900 from France, 53,400 from Germany and 51,900 from Belgium. They live outside, work inside and don’t count in the census. It’s one of my favourite facts about Luxembourg. The Spanish Foreign Ministry’s country profile points out that this is partly why GDP per head looks so high, because commuters produce wealth without adding to the population. STATEC puts it at 239 in purchasing power standards in 2025, with the EU average at 100.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Luxembourg before prices climb.

What do you call someone from Luxembourg?

A Luxembourger. The adjective is Luxembourgish, the same word used for the language a 1984 law made the national tongue. On the street, though, you’ll mostly hear French, and thanks to the mix of nationalities, Portuguese and English too. In a 2018 Education Ministry survey, 98% of residents said they spoke French, 80% English and 77% used Luxembourgish. How the languages divide up is covered under what language do they speak in Luxembourg.

A long life ahead

Life expectancy is 85.2 years for women and 81.1 for men, according to STATEC. In 2025 there were 6,439 births and 4,396 deaths, so the country grows through natural change as well, though mainly through immigration. STATEC publishes the 1 January figure every May, and I will update this page as soon as the 2027 number comes out.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Luxembourg and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Luxembourg on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

So you do not pay over the odds, look at trains, coaches and flights to Luxembourg on Omio and pick the one that suits you.