Luxembourg now has 3,572 doctors and 808 dentists, according to data provided by the Minister for Health and Social Security, 
This increase is unevenly distributed across categories. General practitioners rose from 546 to 773 (+41.6%), while specialists increased from 1,303 to 1,991 (+52.8%). Medical density is also improving: Luxembourg now has 1.13 GPs and 2.92 specialists per 1,000 inhabitants, compared with 0.97 and 2.31 respectively in 2014. Despite this, the country still lags behind France and Belgium for primary care doctors, while it ranks second behind Germany for specialists.
Dentists are experiencing the most spectacular growth. Their number has jumped from 471 in 2014 to 808 in 2024 (+71.5%), representing an increase in density from 0.84 to 1.18 per 1,000 inhabitants. Over twelve years, the increase has been as much as 86%, according to detailed data from the Inspectorate General of Social Security (IGSS). Luxembourg now leads the Greater Region in terms of the density of dentists.
The evolution of the dental profession illustrates a generational and geographical transformation. In 2024, 9% of dentists were under 30, compared with just 6% twelve years earlier, while the proportion aged 60 and over reached 17%. The 30–39 age group has seen the biggest increase, rising from 110 to 286 practitioners. This development is accompanied by a marked internationalisation: only 21.8% of dentists practising in Luxembourg in 2024 will be exclusively of Luxembourg nationality, compared with 40.3% in 2012. The number of French and Portuguese dentists has each increased by just over a hundred over the period, while the number of Belgians and Germans has risen only slightly.
The structure of the practice has changed profoundly. In 2012, 43% of dentists worked alone and only 20% in practices with four or more practitioners. In 2024, the proportion has been reversed: 22% work alone and 40.5% in practices with four or more practitioners. This consolidation reflects the rise of collective practices, sometimes backed by investors, although the Ministry has no data to confirm the presence of financial groups behind these structures.
Mobility also remains a factor of uncertainty. Nearly 10% of dentists leave their practice in Luxembourg within the first year, and around 25% within five years of setting up. The IGSS points out, however, that these figures include both permanent and temporary departures.
To address persistent imbalances, particularly the shortage of certain specialists, the Ministry has launched a national campaign to promote the health professions. The aim is to attract more young doctors and trainees, including by remunerating traineeships of more than four weeks, as introduced two years ago. These measures should make the sector more attractive in a context of an ageing population and growing healthcare needs.
The Minister acknowledges, however, that the creation of a regional fund to temporarily recruit foreign practitioners, as proposed by some MPs, is not on the agenda. Now is the time for observation: “We now need to see how the various measures we have taken are having an effect,” she concludes. Tomorrow’s challenge will be less about numbers than about balance - between general practitioners and specialists, between young and older people, between resident and cross-border practitioners.
