Following closely behind are Wiltz with €68.4 million, Echternach with €63.4 million, and Dudelange with €58 million in debt, as of 31 December 2023.
Of the 100 municipalities in the Grand Duchy, 17 currently operate without loans from banks. These include Luxembourg City, Hesperange, Clervaux, Niederanven, Strassen, Schuttrange, and Sandweiler.
However, the ranking shifts when considering debt per capita, factoring in the number of inhabitants. In this case, Echternach leads with a debt of €10,800 per inhabitant, followed by Wiltz with €8,600 per inhabitant, and Mamer with €7,600 per inhabitant.
Other municipalities with significant per capita debt include the merged municipality of Grosbous-Wal (€7,200), Bettembourg (€6,800), Junglinster (€6,400), and Mertert (€6,700).
Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden provided these figures in response to a parliamentary question by MP Fred Keup of the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr) regarding the financial status of local authorities.
For Minister Gloden, it is important to emphasise that the government does not look at per capita debt to determine whether a municipality’s financial situation is critical, but rather at its ability to repay a loan.
This repayment is made in annual instalments, which are financed via a municipality’s operating budget.
Currently, all 100 municipalities in Luxembourg maintain balanced budgets, ensuring the feasibility of debt repayment for local authorities.
