Around 15,000 households in Luxembourg have been selected to participate in a major survey conducted by the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC), which focuses on income and living conditions (SILC). Some recipients may have already received a letter in the post, while others will be contacted shortly.
The SILC survey is one of STATEC’s most important and long-standing statistical exercises, as explained by its director, Tom Haas. Its objective is to provide a detailed snapshot of how people are living across the country.
The survey gathers information on household income, housing conditions, and energy use, among other indicators.
The findings are intended to support evidence-based political and economic decision-making. As Haas clarified, the survey is used to calculate Luxembourg’s poverty rate, but in recent years, it has also served to assess purchasing power and to determine what measures might be needed to support lower-income households.
Given current economic uncertainties and high energy costs, he noted, such data is especially valuable to ensure that assistance reaches those who need it most.
Participation in the survey is obligatory and part of a broader European initiative. Each year, 15,000 households are randomly drawn from the national population register to ensure a representative cross-section of society.
Haas emphasised that this representativeness is key and that every single household response contributes to understanding the real living conditions people face.
There are several ways to take part: online via MyGuichet, by phone, or through a scheduled appointment with a surveyor who visits in person. Depending on the size of the household, the survey can take from about 30 minutes to over an hour.
Once selected, households remain in the study for four years so that changes in their living standards over time can be tracked.
STATEC also stressed its strong commitment to data protection. Haas explained that all data is anonymised wherever possible, and once it is processed into statistical form, it is deleted.
He added that the institute does not focus on individual responses but rather on understanding the broader trends among different social groups – for example, elderly people or retired women.
Although there is no financial incentive for participating, STATEC highlighted the societal importance of the study. Haas noted that long-term analysis of poverty trends, which spans 20 years, is made possible thanks to this kind of data.
Moreover, the insights gained feed directly into public policy debates and into important meetings, such as the tripartite between trade unions, employers, and the government, where the statistics help shape decisions on measures like cost-of-living allowances or tax credits.
Haas reiterated that taking part in these surveys is a vital civic contribution. He explained that reliable, representative statistics can only be produced when people respond – and those statistics, in turn, are essential to helping the government implement targeted policies that truly reach the people most in need.
