More Luxembourgers are settling just across the border to escape high housing costs while continuing to work in the Grand Duchy, with both families and companies praising the space, affordability, and cross-border lifestyle.
Back in 1974, there were only about 11,400 cross-border workers. Today, that number has risen to 230,000. Among them are around 15,000 Luxembourgers who have chosen to live just across the border while continuing to work in the Grand Duchy. The main reason behind this trend is the soaring cost of housing in Luxembourg, which pushes many residents to settle in neighbouring regions. From a tax perspective, cross-border workers remain taxable in Luxembourg.
Currently, 47% of all employees in Luxembourg are cross-border commuters, out of a total workforce of about 490,000 people. Around 130,000 come from France, 52,000 from Germany, and 55,000 from Belgium. While the number of German and Belgian commuters has slightly decreased in recent years, the French share continues to grow.
For many Luxembourgers who have moved abroad, it’s a trade-off: spending more time in traffic each day in exchange for better living conditions and housing quality on the other side of the border.
RTL spoke with several of these cross-border Luxembourgers. Fanni, who lives in Wolkrange, Belgium, works in Luxembourg and shares her home with her Belgo-Luxembourgish husband and two children. The family was initially hesitant about moving across the border, but they now feel well integrated into village life. Living in Belgium allowed them to build a spacious home with a garden and a pool, something that would have been financially out of reach in Luxembourg. Fanni continues to speak Luxembourgish with her children and ensures they remain connected to their Luxembourgish roots.
RTL also interviewed Jessica Urban, a Luxembourger who has lived in Lorraine for more than 16 years. She said she has never lost her connection to Luxembourg and feels she enjoys the best of both worlds: access to her community in Luxembourg while benefiting from more space and affordable housing in France.
In addition to residents, companies are also following this trend. RTL spoke with the manager of Format, a firm specialising in the construction of exhibitions, fairs, and conferences, which recently opened a warehouse in a business park in Thionville. After operating several storage sites in Luxembourg for 15 years, the company decided to invest in France, citing the better value for money offered across the border.
