Home

Luxembourg vs. Belgium

Introduction

LuxembourgBelgium
BackgroundFounded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. In 1867, Luxembourg attained full independence under the condition that it promise perpetual neutrality. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the EEC (later the EU), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency zone.

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. In recent years, political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemish of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. The capital city of Brussels is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.

Geography

LuxembourgBelgium
LocationWestern Europe, between France and GermanyWestern Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
Geographic coordinates49 45 N, 6 10 E50 50 N, 4 00 E
Map referencesEuropeEurope
Areatotal: 2,586 sq km

land: 2,586 sq km

water: 0 sq km
total: 30,528 sq km

land: 30,278 sq km

water: 250 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly smaller than Rhode Island; about half the size of Delawareabout the size of Maryland
Land boundariestotal: 327 km

border countries (3): Belgium 130 km, France 69 km, Germany 128 km
total: 1,297 km

border countries (4): France 556 km, Germany 133 km, Luxembourg 130 km, Netherlands 478 km
Coastline0 km (landlocked)66.5 km
Maritime claimsnone (landlocked)territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: geographic coordinates define outer limit

continental shelf: median line with neighbors
Climatemodified continental with mild winters, cool summerstemperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrainmostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeastflat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of Ardennes Forest in southeast
Elevation extremeshighest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m

lowest point: Moselle River 133 m

mean elevation: 325 m
highest point: Botrange 694 m

lowest point: North Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 181 m
Natural resourcesiron ore (no longer exploited), arable landconstruction materials, silica sand, carbonates, arable land
Land useagricultural land: 50.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 24% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 26.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 33.5% (2018 est.)

other: 15.8% (2018 est.)
agricultural land: 44.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 27.2% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 16.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 22.4% (2018 est.)

other: 33.5% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land0 sq km (2012)230 sq km (2012)
Natural hazardsoccasional floodingflooding is a threat along rivers and in areas of reclaimed coastal land, protected from the sea by concrete dikes
Environment - current issuesair and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland; unsustainable patterns of consumption (transport, energy, recreation, space) threaten biodiversity and landscapesintense pressures from human activities: urbanization, dense transportation network, industry, extensive animal breeding and crop cultivation; air and water pollution also have repercussions for neighboring countries
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - notelandlocked; the only grand duchy in the worldcrossroads of Western Europe; most West European capitals are within 1,000 km of Brussels, the seat of both the European Union and NATO
Total renewable water resources3.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)18.3 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionmost people live in the south, on or near the border with Francemost of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas

Demographics

LuxembourgBelgium
Population639,589 (July 2021 est.)11,778,842 (July 2021 est.)
Age structure0-14 years: 16.73% (male 54,099/female 51,004)

15-24 years: 11.78% (male 37,946/female 36,061)

25-54 years: 43.93% (male 141,535/female 134,531)

55-64 years: 12.19% (male 39,289/female 37,337)

65 years and over: 15.37% (male 43,595/female 52,984) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 17.22% (male 1,033,383/female 984,624)

15-24 years: 11.2% (male 670,724/female 642,145)

25-54 years: 39.23% (male 2,319,777/female 2,278,450)

55-64 years: 13.14% (male 764,902/female 775,454)

65 years and over: 19.21% (male 988,148/female 1,263,109) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 39.5 years

male: 38.9 years

female: 40 years (2020 est.)
total: 41.6 years

male: 40.4 years

female: 42.8 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate1.7% (2021 est.)0.59% (2021 est.)
Birth rate11.62 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)11.03 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate7.26 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)9.71 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate12.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)4.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 3.24 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 2.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 82.78 years

male: 80.31 years

female: 85.39 years (2021 est.)
total population: 81.65 years

male: 79.02 years

female: 84.4 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate1.63 children born/woman (2021 est.)1.77 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate0.3% (2018 est.)NA
Nationalitynoun: Luxembourger(s)

adjective: Luxembourg
noun: Belgian(s)

adjective: Belgian
Ethnic groupsLuxembourger 51.1%, Portuguese 15.7%, French 7.5%, Italian 3.6%, Belgian 3.3%, German 2.1%, Spanish 1.1%, British 1%, other 14.6% (2019 est.)

note: data represent population by nationality
Belgian 75.2%, Italian 4.1%, Moroccan 3.7%, French 2.4%, Turkish 2%, Dutch 2%, other 10.6% (2012 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS1,200 (2018 est.)NA
ReligionsChristian (predominantly Roman Catholic) 70.4%, Muslim 2.3%, other (includes Buddhist, folk religions, Hindu, Jewish) 0.5%, none 26.8% (2010 est.)Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant and other Christian 2.5%, Muslim 5%, Jewish 0.4%, Buddhist 0.3%, atheist 9.2%, none 32.6% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths<100 (2018 est.)NA
LanguagesLuxembourgish (official administrative and judicial language and national language (spoken vernacular)) 55.8%, Portuguese 15.7%, French (official administrative, judicial, and legislative language) 12.1%, German (official administrative and judicial language) 3.1%, Italian 2.9%, English 2.1%, other 8.4% (2011 est.)Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%

major-language sample(s):
Het Wereld Feitenboek, een omnisbare bron van informatie. (Dutch)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 14 years (2018)
total: 20 years

male: 19 years

female: 21 years (2018)
Education expenditures3.6% of GDP (2017)6.4% of GDP (2017)
Urbanizationurban population: 91.7% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 98.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 0.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 98.8% of population

total: 99% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 1.2% of population

total: 1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 99.9% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0.1% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population120,000 LUXEMBOURG (capital) (2018)2.096 million BRUSSELS (capital), 1.048 million Antwerp (2021)
Maternal mortality rate5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)5 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Health expenditures5.3% (2018)10.3% (2018)
Physicians density3.01 physicians/1,000 population (2017)3.07 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density4.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)5.7 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate22.6% (2016)22.1% (2016)
Mother's mean age at first birth31.1 years (2019 est.)29.2 years (2019 est.)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 42.8

youth dependency ratio: 22.2

elderly dependency ratio: 20.5

potential support ratio: 4.9 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 57

youth dependency ratio: 26.7

elderly dependency ratio: 30.2

potential support ratio: 3.3 (2020 est.)

Government

LuxembourgBelgium
Country nameconventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

conventional short form: Luxembourg

local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg

local short form: Luxembourg

etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the surrounding city and then to the country itself
conventional long form: Kingdom of Belgium

conventional short form: Belgium

local long form: Royaume de Belgique (French)/Koninkrijk Belgie (Dutch)/Koenigreich Belgien (German)

local short form: Belgique/Belgie/Belgien

etymology: the name derives from the Belgae, an ancient Celtic tribal confederation that inhabited an area between the English Channel and the west bank of the Rhine in the first centuries B.C.
Government typeconstitutional monarchyfederal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Capitalname: Luxembourg

geographic coordinates: 49 36 N, 6 07 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: the name derives from the Celtic "lucilem" (little) and the German "burg" (castle or fortress) to produce the meaning of the "little castle"; the name is actually ironic, since for centuries the Fortress of Luxembourg was one of Europe's most formidable fortifications; the name passed to the city that grew around the fortress
name: Brussels

geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: may derive from the Old Dutch "bruoc/broek," meaning "marsh" and "sella/zele/sel" signifying "home" to express the meaning "home in the marsh"
Administrative divisions12 cantons (cantons, singular - canton); Capellen, Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Esch-sur-Alzette, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, Mersch, Redange, Remich, Vianden, Wiltz3 regions (French: regions, singular - region; Dutch: gewesten, singular - gewest); Brussels-Capital Region, also known as Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (Dutch), Region de Bruxelles-Capitale (French long form), Bruxelles-Capitale (French short form); Flemish Region (Flanders), also known as Vlaams Gewest (Dutch long form), Vlaanderen (Dutch short form), Region Flamande (French long form), Flandre (French short form); Walloon Region (Wallonia), also known as Region Wallone (French long form), Wallonie (French short form), Waals Gewest (Dutch long form), Wallonie (Dutch short form)

note: as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; the 2012 sixth state reform transferred additional competencies from the federal state to the regions and linguistic communities
Independence1839 (from the Netherlands)4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
National holidayNational Day (birthday of Grand Duke HENRI), 23 June; note - this date of birth is not the true date of birth for any of the Royals, but the national festivities were shifted in 1962 to allow observance during a more favorable time of yearBelgian National Day (ascension to the throne of King LEOPOLD I), 21 July (1831)
Constitutionhistory: previous 1842 (heavily amended 1848, 1856); latest effective 17 October 1868

amendments: proposed by the Chamber of Deputies or by the monarch to the Chamber; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Chamber in two successive readings three months apart; a referendum can be substituted for the second reading if approved by more than a quarter of the Chamber members or by 25,000 valid voters; adoption by referendum requires a majority of all valid voters; amended many times, last in 2020
history: drafted 25 November 1830, approved 7 February 1831, entered into force 26 July 1831, revised 14 July 1993 (creating a federal state)

amendments: "revisions" proposed as declarations by the federal government in accord with the king or by Parliament followed by dissolution of Parliament and new elections; adoption requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in both houses of the next elected Parliament; amended many times, last in 2019
Legal systemcivil law systemcivil law system based on the French Civil Code; note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage18 years of age; universal and compulsory18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branchchief of state: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)

head of government: Prime Minister Xavier BETTEL (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Etienne SCHNEIDER (since 4 December 2013); Deputy Prime Minister Felix BRAZ (since 5 December 2018)

cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; deputy prime minister appointed by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies
chief of state: King PHILIPPE (since 21 July 2013); Heir Apparent Princess ELISABETH (daughter of the monarch, born 25 October 2001)

head of government: Prime Minister Alexander DE CROO (since 1 October 2020); Deputy Prime Ministers Vincent Van Quickenborne (since 1 October 2020), Sophie Wilmes (since 1 October 2020), Vincent Van Peteghem (since 1 October 2020), Frank Vandenbroucke (since 1 October 2020), Pierre-Yves Dermagne (since 1 October 2020), Petra De Sutter (since 1 October 2020), Georges Gilkinet (since 1 October 2020)

cabinet: Council of Ministers formally appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary and constitutional; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the monarch and approved by Parliament
Legislative branchdescription: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - a 21-member Council of State appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies

elections: last held on 14 October 2018 (next to be held by October 2023)

election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 28.3%, LSAP 17.6%, DP 16.9%, Green Party 15.1%, ADR 8.3%, Pirate Party 6.4%, The Left 5.5%, other 1.9%; seats by party - CSV 21, DP 12, LSAP 10, Green Party 9, ADR 4, Pirate Party 2, The Left 2; composition - men 46, women 14, percent of women 23.3%
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate or Senaat (in Dutch), Senat (in French) (60 seats; 50 members indirectly elected by the community and regional parliaments based on their election results, and 10 elected by the 50 other senators; members serve 5-year terms)
Chamber of Representatives or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers (in Dutch), Chambre des Representants (in French) (150 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

Senate - last held 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

Chamber of Representatives - last held on 26 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); note - elections coincided with the EU elections

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition men 32, women 28, percent of women 46.7%

Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - N-VA 16.0%, VB 11.9%, PS 9.5%, CD&V 8.9%, PVDA+/PTB 8.62%, Open VLD 8.5%, MR 7.6%, SP.A 6.7%, Ecolo 6.1%, Groen 6.1%, CDH 3.7%, Defi 2.2%, PP 1.1%, other 20.1%; seats by party - N-VA 25, VB 18, PS 20, CD&V 12, PVDA+PTB 12, Open VLD 12, MR 14, SP.A 9, Ecolo 13, Groen 8, CDH 5, Defi 2; composition - men 86, women 64, percent of women 42.7%

note: the 1993 constitutional revision that further devolved Belgium into a federal state created three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments, each with its own legislative assembly; changes above occurred since the sixth state reform

Judicial branchhighest courts: Supreme Court of Justice includes Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation (consists of 27 judges on 9 benches); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office: judges of both courts appointed by the monarch for life

subordinate courts: Court of Accounts; district and local tribunals and courts
highest courts: Constitutional Court or Grondwettelijk Hof (in Dutch) and Cour Constitutionelle (in French) (consists of 12 judges - 6 Dutch-speaking and 6 French-speaking); Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) and Cour de Cassation (in French) (court organized into 3 chambers: civil and commercial; criminal; social, fiscal, and armed forces; each chamber includes a Dutch division and a French division, each with a chairperson and 5-6 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Constitutional Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by Parliament; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Supreme Court judges appointed by the monarch from candidates submitted by the High Council of Justice, a 44-member independent body of judicial and non-judicial members; judges appointed for life

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional courts; specialized courts for administrative, commercial, labor, immigration, and audit issues; magistrate's courts; justices of the peace
Political parties and leadersAlternative Democratic Reform Party or ADR [Jean SCHOOS]
Christian Social People's Party or CSV [Marc SPAUTZ]
Democratic Party or DP [Corinne CAHEN]
Green Party [Francoise FOLMER, Christian KMIOTEK]
Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Claude HAAGEN]
The Left (dei Lenk/la Gauche) [collective leadership, Central Committee]
other minor parties
Flemish parties:
Christian Democratic and Flemish or CD&V [Joachim COENS]
Flemish Liberals and Democrats or Open VLD [Egbert LACHAERT]
Groen or Green [Meyrem ALMACI] (formerly AGALEV, Flemish Greens)
New Flemish Alliance or N-VA [Bart DE WEVER]
Social Progressive Alternative or SP.A [Conner ROUSSEAU]
Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) or VB [Tom VAN GRIEKEN]
Francophone parties:
Ecolo (Francophone Greens) [Jean-Marc NOLLET, Rajae MAOUANE]
Francophone Federalist Democrats or Defi [Olivier MAINGAIN]
Humanist and Democratic Center or CDH [Maxine PREVOT]
People's Party or PP [Mischael MODRIKAMEN]
Reform Movement or MR [George-Louis BOUCHEZ]
Socialist Party or PS [Paul MAGNETTE]
Workers' Party or PTB [Peter MERTENS]
other minor parties
International organization participationADB (nonregional member), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZCADB (nonregional members), AfDB (nonregional members), Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the USchief of mission: Ambassador Gaston Pierre Jean STRONCK (since 16 September 2019)

chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171

FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270

email address and website:
washington.amb@mae.etat.lu

https://washington.mae.lu/en.html

consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Arthur REGIBEAU (since 17 September 2020)

chancery: 1430 K Street NW, Washington DC 20005

telephone: [1] (202) 333-6900

FAX: [1] (202) 338-4960

email address and website:
Washington@diplobel.fed.be

https://unitedstates.diplomatie.belgium.be/en

consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the USchief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Casey MACE (since 20 January 2021)

embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City

mailing address: 5380 Luxembourg Place, Washington DC  20521-5380

telephone: [352] 46-01-23-00

FAX: [352] 46-14-01

email address and website:
Luxembourgconsular@state.gov

https://lu.usembassy.gov/
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Nicholas BERLINER (since 20 January 2021)

embassy: 27 Boulevard du Regent [Regentlaan], B-1000 Brussels

mailing address: 7600 Brussels Place, Washington DC  20521-7600

telephone: [32] (2) 811-4000

FAX: [32] (2) 811-4500

email address and website:
uscitizenBrussels@state.gov

https://be.usembassy.gov/
Flag descriptionthree equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; the coloring is derived from the Grand Duke's coat of arms (a red lion on a white and blue striped field)three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the vertical design was based on the flag of France; the colors are those of the arms of the duchy of Brabant (yellow lion with red claws and tongue on a black field)
National anthemname: "Ons Heemecht" (Our Motherland); "De Wilhelmus" (The William)

lyrics/music: Michel LENTZ/Jean-Antoine ZINNEN; Nikolaus WELTER/unknown

note: "Ons Heemecht," adopted 1864, is the national anthem, while "De Wilhelmus," adopted 1919, serves as a royal anthem for use when members of the grand ducal family enter or exit a ceremony in Luxembourg
name: "La Brabanconne" (The Song of Brabant)

lyrics/music: Louis-Alexandre DECHET[French] Victor CEULEMANS [Dutch]/Francois VAN CAMPENHOUT

note: adopted 1830; according to legend, Louis-Alexandre DECHET, an actor at the theater in which the revolution against the Netherlands began, wrote the lyrics with a group of young people in a Brussels cafe
International law organization participationaccepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdictionaccepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
National symbol(s)red, rampant lion; national colors: red, white, light bluegolden rampant lion; national colors: red, black, yellow
Citizenshipcitizenship by birth: limited to situations where the parents are either unknown, stateless, or when the nationality law of the parents' state of origin does not permit acquisition of citizenship by descent when the birth occurs outside of national territory

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Luxembourg

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years
citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Belgium

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Economy

LuxembourgBelgium
Economy - overview

This small, stable, high-income economy has historically featured solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. Luxembourg, the only Grand Duchy in the world, is a landlocked country in northwestern Europe surrounded by Belgium, France, and Germany. Despite its small landmass and small population, Luxembourg is the fifth-wealthiest country in the world when measured on a gross domestic product (PPP) per capita basis. Luxembourg has one of the highest current account surpluses as a share of GDP in the euro zone, and it maintains a healthy budgetary position, with a 2017 surplus of 0.5% of GDP, and the lowest public debt level in the region.

Since 2002, Luxembourg's government has proactively implemented policies and programs to support economic diversification and to attract foreign direct investment. The government focused on key innovative industries that showed promise for supporting economic growth: logistics, information and communications technology (ICT); health technologies, including biotechnology and biomedical research; clean energy technologies, and more recently, space technology and financial services technologies. The economy has evolved and flourished, posting strong GDP growth of 3.4% in 2017, far outpacing the European average of 1.8%.

Luxembourg remains a financial powerhouse - the financial sector accounts for more than 35% of GDP - because of the exponential growth of the investment fund sector through the launch and development of cross-border funds (UCITS) in the 1990s. Luxembourg is the world's second-largest investment fund asset domicile, after the US, with $4 trillion of assets in custody in financial institutions.

Luxembourg has lost some of its advantage as a favorable tax location because of OECD and EU pressure, as well as the "LuxLeaks" scandal, which revealed advantageous tax treatments offered to foreign corporations. In 2015, the government's compliance with EU requirements to implement automatic exchange of tax information on savings accounts - thus ending banking secrecy - has constricted banking activity. Likewise, changes to the way EU members collect taxes from e-commerce has cut Luxembourg's sales tax revenues, requiring the government to raise additional levies and to reduce some direct social benefits as part of the tax reform package of 2017. The tax reform package also included reductions in the corporate tax rate and increases in deductions for families, both intended to increase purchasing power and increase competitiveness.

Belgium's central geographic location and highly developed transport network have helped develop a well-diversified economy, with a broad mix of transport, services, manufacturing, and high tech. Service and high-tech industries are concentrated in the northern Flanders region while the southern region of Wallonia is home to industries like coal and steel manufacturing. Belgium is completely reliant on foreign sources of fossil fuels, and the planned closure of its seven nuclear plants by 2025 should increase its dependence on foreign energy. Its role as a regional logistical hub makes its economy vulnerable to shifts in foreign demand, particularly with EU trading partners. Roughly three-quarters of Belgium's trade is with other EU countries, and the port of Zeebrugge conducts almost half its trade with the United Kingdom alone, leaving Belgium's economy vulnerable to the outcome of negotiations on the UK's exit from the EU.

Belgium's GDP grew by 1.7% in 2017 and the budget deficit was 1.5% of GDP. Unemployment stood at 7.3%, however the unemployment rate is lower in Flanders than Wallonia, 4.4% compared to 9.4%, because of industrial differences between the regions. The economy largely recovered from the March 2016 terrorist attacks that mainly impacted the Brussels region tourist and hospitality industry. Prime Minister Charles MICHEL's center-right government has pledged to further reduce the deficit in response to EU pressure to decrease Belgium's high public debt of about 104% of GDP, but such efforts would also dampen economic growth. In addition to restrained public spending, low wage growth and higher inflation promise to curtail a more robust recovery in private consumption.

The government has pledged to pursue a reform program to improve Belgium's competitiveness, including changes to labor market rules and welfare benefits. These changes have generally made Belgian wages more competitive regionally, but have raised tensions with trade unions, which have called for extended strikes. In 2017, Belgium approved a tax reform plan to ease corporate rates from 33% to 29% by 2018 and down to 25% by 2020. The tax plan also included benefits for innovation and SMEs, intended to spur competitiveness and private investment.

GDP (purchasing power parity)$70.966 billion (2019 est.)

$69.373 billion (2018 est.)

$67.28 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$596.414 billion (2019 est.)

$586.192 billion (2018 est.)

$575.757 billion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - real growth rate2.31% (2019 est.)

3.14% (2018 est.)

1.81% (2017 est.)
1.41% (2019 est.)

1.49% (2018 est.)

1.9% (2017 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)$114,482 (2019 est.)

$114,110 (2018 est.)

$112,823 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
$51,934 (2019 est.)

$51,299 (2018 est.)

$50,615 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars
GDP - composition by sectoragriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.)

industry: 12.8% (2017 est.)

services: 86.9% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.)

industry: 22.1% (2017 est.)

services: 77.2% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line17.5% (2018 est.)14.8% (2018 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage sharelowest 10%: 3.5%

highest 10%: 23.8% (2000)
lowest 10%: 3.4%

highest 10%: 28.4% (2006)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)1.7% (2019 est.)

1.5% (2018 est.)

1.7% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2019 est.)

2% (2018 est.)

2.1% (2017 est.)
Labor force476,000 (2020 est.)

note: data exclude foreign workers; in addition to the figure for domestic labor force, about 150,000 workers commute daily from France, Belgium, and Germany
4.122 million (2020 est.)
Labor force - by occupationagriculture: 1.1%

industry: 20%

services: 78.9% (2013 est.)
agriculture: 1.3%

industry: 18.6%

services: 80.1% (2013 est.)
Unemployment rate5.36% (2019 est.)

5.46% (2018 est.)
5.36% (2019 est.)

5.96% (2018 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index34.9 (2017 est.)

26 (2005 est.)
27.4 (2017 est.)

28.7 (1996)
Budgetrevenues: 27.75 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 26.8 billion (2017 est.)
revenues: 253.5 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 258.6 billion (2017 est.)
Industriesbanking and financial services, construction, real estate services, iron, metals, and steel, information technology, telecommunications, cargo transportation and logistics, chemicals, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, tourism, biotechnologyengineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate1.9% (2017 est.)0.2% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - productsmilk, wheat, barley, triticale, potatoes, pork, beef, grapes, rapeseed, oatssugar beet, milk, potatoes, wheat, pork, lettuce, poultry, maize, barley, pears
Exports$133.61 billion (2019 est.)

$132.487 billion (2018 est.)

$131.834 billion (2017 est.)
$474.278 billion (2019 est.)

$469.48 billion (2018 est.)

$466.732 billion (2017 est.)
Exports - commoditiesiron and iron products, tires, cars, broadcasting equipment, clothing and apparel  (2019)cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019)
Exports - partnersGermany 23%, France 13%, Belgium 12%, Netherlands 6%, Italy 5% (2019)Germany 17%, France 14%, Netherlands 13%, United Kingdom 8%, United States 6%, Italy 5% (2019)
Imports$111.287 billion (2019 est.)

$110.275 billion (2018 est.)

$110.656 billion (2017 est.)
$473.129 billion (2019 est.)

$469.546 billion (2018 est.)

$463.706 billion (2017 est.)
Imports - commoditiescars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, scrap iron, aircraft (2019)cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, medical cultures/vaccines, diamonds, natural gas (2019)
Imports - partnersBelgium 27%, Germany 24%, France 11%, Netherlands 5% (2019)Netherlands 16%, Germany 13%, France 10%, United States 8%, Ireland 5%, China 5% (2019)
Debt - external$4,266,792,000,000 (2019 est.)

$4,581,617,000,000 (2018 est.)
$1,317,513,000,000 (2019 est.)

$1,332,358,000,000 (2018 est.)
Exchange rateseuros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.82771 (2020 est.)

0.90338 (2019 est.)

0.87789 (2018 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)
Fiscal yearcalendar yearcalendar year
Public debt23% of GDP (2017 est.)

20.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
103.4% of GDP (2017 est.)

106% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions; general government debt is defined by the Maastricht definition and calculated by the National Bank of Belgium as consolidated gross debt; the debt is defined in European Regulation EC479/2009 concerning the implementation of the protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht) of 7 February 1992; the sub-sectors of consolidated gross debt are: federal government, communities and regions, local government, and social security funds
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold$878 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$974 million (31 December 2016 est.)
$26.16 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$24.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Current Account Balance$3.254 billion (2019 est.)

$3.296 billion (2018 est.)
$1.843 billion (2019 est.)

-$4.135 billion (2018 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)$71.089 billion (2019 est.)$533.028 billion (2019 est.)
Credit ratingsFitch rating: AAA (1994)

Moody's rating: Aaa (1989)

Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1994)
Fitch rating: AA- (2016)

Moody's rating: Aa3 (2011)

Standard & Poors rating: AA (2011)
Ease of Doing Business Index scoresOverall score: 69.6 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 88.8 (2020)

Trading score: 100 (2020)

Enforcement score: 73.3 (2020)
Overall score: 75 (2020)

Starting a Business score: 92.3 (2020)

Trading score: 100 (2020)

Enforcement score: 64.3 (2020)
Taxes and other revenues44.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)51.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)1.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24total: 17%

male: 17.8%

female: 16% (2019 est.)
total: 14.2%

male: 16%

female: 12.3% (2019 est.)
GDP - composition, by end usehousehold consumption: 30.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 16.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 16.2% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 230% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -194% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 51.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 23.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 23.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.3% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 85.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -84.4% (2017 est.)
Gross national saving16.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

17.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

17.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
25.3% of GDP (2019 est.)

24.8% of GDP (2018 est.)

25.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

Energy

LuxembourgBelgium
Electricity - production334.5 million kWh (2016 est.)79.83 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption6.475 billion kWh (2016 est.)82.16 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports1.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)8.465 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - imports7.718 billion kWh (2016 est.)14.65 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Oil - production0 bbl/day (2018 est.)0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Oil - imports0 bbl/day (2017 est.)687,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - exports0 bbl/day (2017 est.)0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Oil - proved reserves0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
Natural gas - production0 cu m (2017 est.)0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption792.8 million cu m (2017 est.)17.61 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports0 cu m (2017 est.)736.2 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports792.8 million cu m (2017 est.)18.09 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity1.709 million kW (2016 est.)21.56 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels25% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)28% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources67% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)36% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production0 bbl/day (2017 est.)731,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption59,850 bbl/day (2017 est.)648,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports0 bbl/day (2017 est.)680,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports59,020 bbl/day (2017 est.)601,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Electricity accesselectrification - total population: 100% (2020)electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Telecommunications

LuxembourgBelgium
Telephones - main lines in usetotal subscriptions: 267,400

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43.31 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 3,930,410

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33.78 (2019 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellulartotal subscriptions: 835,900

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135.39 (2019 est.)
total subscriptions: 11,509,573

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98.92 (2019 est.)
Internet country code.lu.be
Internet userstotal: 587,955

percent of population: 97.06% (July 2018 est.)
total: 10,258,638

percent of population: 88.66% (July 2018 est.)
Telecommunication systemsgeneral assessment:

small but highly developed telecom system dominated by state-owned operator; gains in fixed-line and drop in mobile/roving sector during 2020 travel restrictions; government-state operator extended 1GB/s service with aims to make Luxembourg the first fully fiber country in Europe; regulator completed auction for 5G spectrum; importer of broadcast equipment from China (2021)

(2020)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity about 43 per 100 persons; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system with market for mobile-cellular phones virtually saturated with 136 per 100 mobile-cellular (2019)

international: country code - 352

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment:

Belgium has a highly developed, technologically advanced telecom system; LTE is nearly universal; ongoing investment in 5G with services to dozens of cities and towns; competition between the DSL and cable platforms with investment in fiber networks; 5G; operators accelerating fiber roll-out program; Brussels Airport collaborating with operator to deploy 5G and IoT solutions; international connections through satellite and submarine cables; importer of broadcast equipment from EU neighbors (2021)

(2020)

domestic: 34 per 100 fixed-line, 100 per 100 mobile-cellular; nationwide mobile-cellular telephone system; extensive cable network; limited microwave radio relay network (2019)

international: country code - 32; landing points for Concerto, UK-Belgium, Tangerine, and SeaMeWe-3, submarine cables that provide links to Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat - 3) (2019)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Broadband - fixed subscriptionstotal: 230,100

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37.27 (2019 est.)
total: 4,590,707

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39.45 (2019 est.)
Broadcast mediaLuxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services for pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately owned broadcast media group, the RTL Group, which operates 46 TV stations and 29 radio stations in Europe; also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES); domestically, the RTL Group operates TV and radio networks; other domestic private radio and TV operators and French and German stations available; satellite and cable TV services availablea segmented market with the three major communities (Flemish, French, and German-speaking) each having responsibility for their own broadcast media; multiple TV channels exist for each community; additionally, in excess of 90% of households are connected to cable and can access broadcasts of TV stations from neighboring countries; each community has a public radio network coexisting with private broadcasters

Transportation

LuxembourgBelgium
Railwaystotal: 275 km (2014)

standard gauge: 275 km 1.435-m gauge (275 km electrified) (2014)
total: 3,592 km (2014)

standard gauge: 3,592 km 1.435-m gauge (2,960 km electrified) (2014)
Roadwaystotal: 2,875 km (2019)total: 118,414 km (2015)

paved: 118,414 km (includes 1,747 km of expressways) (2015)
Waterways37 km (on Moselle River) (2010)2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use) (2012)
Pipelines142 km gas, 27 km refined products (2013)3139 km gas, 154 km oil, 535 km refined products (2013)
Ports and terminalsriver port(s): Mertert (Moselle)major seaport(s): Oostende, Zeebrugge

container port(s) (TEUs): Antwerp (11,860,204) (2019)

LNG terminal(s) (import): Zeebrugge

river port(s): Antwerp, Gent (Schelde River)

Brussels (Senne River) Liege (Meuse River)
Merchant marinetotal: 150

by type: bulk carrier 4, container ship 1, general cargo 21, oil tanker 3, other 121 (2020)
total: 203

by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 5, general cargo 16, oil tanker 25, other 136 (2020)
Airportstotal: 2 (2013)total: 41 (2013)
Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 1 (2019)

over 3,047 m: 1
total: 26 (2019)

over 3,047 m: 6

2,438 to 3,047 m: 9

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 8
Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 1 (2013)

under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 15 (2013)

under 914 m: 15 (2013)
Heliports1 (2013)1 (2013)
National air transport systemnumber of registered air carriers: 4 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 66

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 2,099,102 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,323,040,000 mt-km (2018)
number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 117

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 13,639,487 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,285,340,000 mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefixLXOO

Military

LuxembourgBelgium
Military branchesLuxembourg Army (l'Armée Luxembourgeoise) (2021)Belgian Armed Forces: Land Component, Naval Component, Air Component, Medical Service (2021)
Military service age and obligation18-26 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 1969); Luxembourg citizen or EU citizen with 3-year residence in Luxembourg (2021)18 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 1995 (2019)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP0.57% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.54% of GDP (2019)

0.5% of GDP (2018)

0.51% of GDP (2017)

0.39% of GDP (2016)
1.07% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.89% of GDP (2019)

0.89% of GDP (2018)

0.88% of GDP (2017)

0.89% of GDP (2016)
Military - noteLuxembourg is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949Belgium is a member of NATO and was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) in 1949

in 2018, the Defense Ministers of Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a Composite Special Operations Component Command (C-SOCC); the C-SOCC was declared operational in December 2020
Military and security service personnel strengthsthe Luxembourg Army has approximately 900 active personnel (2021)the Belgian Armed Forces have approximately 26,000 active duty personnel (11,000 Land Component; 1,500 Navy; 5,000 Air Force; 1,500 Medical Service; 7,000 other, including joint staff, support, and training schools) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitionsthe inventory of Luxembourg's Army is a small mix of European and US equipment; since 2010, it has received small quantities of equipment from Germany, Norway, and Sweden (2020)the Belgian Armed Forces have a mix of weapons systems from European countries, Israel, and the US; since 2010, France, Germany, and Switzerland are the leading suppliers of armaments; Belgium has an export-focused defense industry that focuses on components and subcontracting (2020)

Transnational Issues

LuxembourgBelgium
Disputes - international

none

none

Refugees and internally displaced personsstateless persons: 194 (2020)refugees (country of origin): 16,604 (Syria), 5,602 (Iraq), 5,070 (Afghanistan) (2019)

stateless persons: 1,264 (2020)

Environment

LuxembourgBelgium
Air pollutantsparticulate matter emissions: 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 8.99 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 0.61 megatons (2020 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 96.89 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 7.78 megatons (2020 est.)
Total water withdrawalmunicipal: 43.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 1.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 400,000 cubic meters (2017 est.)
municipal: 739 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 3.21 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 45 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Revenue from forest resourcesforest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)forest revenues: 0.02% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coalcoal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recyclingmunicipal solid waste generated annually: 356,000 tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 100,997 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.4% (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 4.708 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,614,985 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 34.3% (2015 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook