Luxembourg: jurisdiction facts

Useful facts and figures about Luxembourg.

Economy
This small, stable, high-income economy – benefiting from its proximity to France, Belgium, and Germany – has historically featured solid growth, low inflation and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products.
Growth in the financial sector, which now accounts for about 28% of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign owned.
The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for about 60% of its labour force. Luxembourg, like all European Union (EU) members, suffered from the global economic crisis that began in late 2008. Following strong expansion from 2004 to 2007, Luxembourg’s economy contracted 0.9% in 2008 and 3.9% in 2009.
The country continues to enjoy an extraordinarily high standard of living with a GDP-per-capita ranking of third in the world (after Liechtenstein and Qatar) and is the highest in the EU. Government stimulus measures and support for the banking sector, however – following the turmoil in the world financial markets and lower global demand during 2008-09 – led to a 5% government budget deficit in 2009.

Country name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (conventional long form); Luxembourg (conventional short form) Location: Western Europe, between France and Germany
Area: 2,586 sq km in total
Transport – airports: two in 2010
Currency: euro
GDP (purchasing power parity): $79,600 (2009 est)
Language: Luxembourgish (national language); German and French (administrative languages)
Population: 492,000
Population growth: 1.158% (2010 est)
Literacy (age 15 and over can read and write): 100%
Net migration rate: 8.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est)
Nationality: noun: Luxembourger(s); adjective: Luxembourg
Land use: arable land: 27.42%; permanent crops: 0.69%; other: 71.89% (includes Belgium) (2005 est)
Natural hazards: NA
Ethnic groups: Luxembourger 63.1%; Portuguese 13.3%; French 4.5%; Italian 4.3%; German 2.3%; other EU 7.3%; other 5.2% (2000 est)
Religions: Roman Catholic 87%; other (includes Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 13% (2000 est)
International country code: 352
Broadcast media: Has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services to  pan-European audiences, and is home to Europe’s largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL group;
also home to Europe’s largest satellite operator, Société Européenne des Satellites (SES)
Internet country code: .lu