Are the high housing prices and living costs starting to get the better of some Luxembourg nationals? Although the figures from the STATEC do not provide a direct answer to this question, they still reveal some interesting tendencies.
Indeed, a record was broken in 2022, namely that of the highest number of departures of Luxembourgers since 1967, the year in which this data was first recorded. In total, 3,273 people left the country last year, which means that the 1,582 Luxembourg nationals returning to the Grand Duchy was not enough to counterbalance departures.
By way of comparison: Until 2014, the number of departures of Luxembourgers had never exceeded the 2,000 people mark. It then began rising gradually and broke several records in successive manner.
Where did they settle? When contacted by our colleagues at RTL Infos, the STATEC was unable to answer this question: “We do not have any information on the country of settlement.” It is known that some Luxembourgers move across the border but remain close to the Grand Duchy to pay less for housing, while others have probably decided to leave the greater region altogether.
Portuguese citizens also left the country in large numbers in 2022, 3,547 people to be exact. That is more than Luxembourgers and is in fact another record. Until 2016, the figure remained stable between 1,500 and 2,000 annual departures. Since 2019, it has consistently increased, however.
Many Portuguese nationals still continue trying the Luxembourg adventure as 3,633 people arrived in 2022. However, this is far from the number of arrivals recorded in the 2000s when nearly 5,000 Portuguese people settled in the Grand Duchy every year.
In this context, it is noteworthy that many skilled workers in the construction sector are deciding to return to their country of origin. The reasons for these departures are, according to our sources, often linked to the “superior” quality of life that Portugal can offer despite less attractive salaries.
