Luxembourg’s population is approaching 691,000, but the growth is no longer what it used to be. On 1 January 2026, the country had a population of exactly 690,959, representing a year-on-year increase of 1.3%—a sharp decline compared with the trends of the past decade, when growth fluctuated between 2% and 2.5%. Behind this growth, migration remains the dominant factor, but it too is slowing down, according to a Statec publication released on Tuesday 5 May. In 2025, 24,985 people moved to the country, whilst 17,141 left, bringing the net migration figure to 7,844 people. A decisive contribution, but one that is declining. At the same time, the natural increase remains modest at just 2,043 people, a direct consequence of a falling birth rate.
In detail, this net migration figure is driven by contrasting trends. French nationals remain the largest net contributors, ahead of Italians and Ukrainians, whilst Luxembourgers themselves are leaving the country in greater numbers than they are returning, resulting in a net loss of 1,111 people. The country is attracting people, but its ability to retain them is becoming a challenge. This is the most worrying sign. With 6,439 births in 2025, the country is recording a further decline, and, above all, a fertility rate falling to 1.23 children per woman, a rate “lower than ever before”. The trend is not cyclical but structural, part of a decline observed since the early 2000s and shared across Europe.
Eroding pillars
This trend is all the more telling given that disparities persist across different population groups. The fertility rate among foreign women remains higher, at 1.35 children per woman, compared with 1.16 for Luxembourgish women, but it is also falling. In other words, even the groups that were still supporting the birth rate are now contributing to the general slowdown. This low birth rate contrasts with a life expectancy that remains high, at 85.2 years for women and 81.1 years for men, although it has fallen slightly. Population ageing is becoming inevitable, particularly as Luxembourg residents are, on average, older than foreign nationals, the latter continuing to drive population growth and partially rejuvenate the age pyramid.
Another factor driving this adjustment is the rise in the number of people acquiring Luxembourgish citizenship. In 2025, 8,223 people were granted citizenship, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.9%. The majority of these acquisitions are by option, and more than a quarter involve non-residents, illustrating a connection to the country that goes beyond mere physical presence on its territory. Against this backdrop, the proportion of foreign nationals has fallen slightly to 46.6% of the population, due to the combined effect of slower immigration and these rising naturalisation figures. Luxembourg remains one of the most cosmopolitan countries in Europe, with some 180 nationalities, but the balance is shifting.
Ultimately, the picture is clear. Luxembourg’s population growth is holding up, but the foundations on which it rests are simultaneously eroding. Fewer migrants, fewer births, an ageing population and more nationals leaving the country. This marks a subtle yet strategic turning point for an economic model that has long been driven by rapid population growth.
