Risk of overcrowding doubles, poverty and social exclusion increase by 50% in Luxembourg

The risk of overcrowding — which Eurostat define as has not having enough rooms of appropriate size for the household — has increased from 2.5% in 2010, to 5% in 2018, for Luxembourg nationals. The figure EU-28 residents of the country (which still includes the UK), stayed relatively steady: 12.5% in 2010, and 12.2% in 2018.

The rate is highest among third-country nationals (i.e. neither Luxembourg nationals nor from an EU member state) but has seen a positive development, from 27% in 2010 to 21.7% in 2018.

To put this into a wider perspective, the average rate among the EU28 in 2018 was 17.9% for reporting countries (i.e. nationals who live in the country of their citizenship), 19% among EU expats living in other countries, and 34.9% for third-country nationals within the EU.

That said, the overall risk (reporting country) has decreased in the EU as a whole, from 20.1% in 2010 to 17.9% in 2018. Luxembourg's doubled risk for nationals is the highest percentage increase in the union, followed quite closely by the Netherlands (from 2.8 to 5.4%), while Estonia saw the largest decrease (40.8% to 13.8%).

Risk of poverty

The risk of poverty or social exclusion has also increased, and again more so for Luxembourg nationals than other residents. The rate stood at 11.2% in 2010, and had reached 16.8% by 2018. That's an increase of 50% in eight years. Again looking to EU-28 residents of Luxembourg, the rate for this group also increased — from 18.6% in 2010, to 25.4% in 2018.

For third-country nationals the rate here has remained quite steady, though considerably higher - it stood at 38.6% in 2010, and 38.9% in 2018. It is worth noting that the 2018 figure is a marked improvement from 2016 and 17, when the rate was at 46.1 and 46% respectively.

This too needs to be put in a broader perspective, the overall EU risk for reporting countries was at 20.3%, 27.7% for EU expats, and 44.7% for third-country nationals.