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Over 45,000 people retired in Luxembourg over the last five years, new data shows, with the majority retiring between the ages 60 and 64. In the public sector, only 8% of employees work until age 65 or later, compared with around 23.5% in the private sector. The data was supplied in a ministerial response to a question submitted by the DP’s Gerard Schockmel. Next Thursday the Chamber of Deputies are set to vote on the new pension reforms.
The required 40 years of work or contributions will gradually and progressively increase for those seeking early retirement.

Also today

• Germany said today it had identified two Russian cyber operations, targeting air traffic control and February’s general election, and that it had summoned the Russian ambassador in protest. A foreign ministry spokesman said German security services had proof that hacker groups run by Russia’s military intelligence service GRU were responsible for the attacks and influence operations. Governments across Europe are on high alert over alleged Russian espionage, drone surveillance and sabotage activities, as well as cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.
• A new international study has found that women remain significantly underrepresented both as subjects and authors of news in Luxembourg, with progress stalling or even reversing in some key areas since 2010, according to findings from the latest Global Media Monitoring Project. The international research initiative evaluates the qualitative and quantitative presence of women in news coverage worldwide. For the 2025 edition, researchers analysed all news output from a single, ordinary day – 6 May – in the Grand Duchy.
• The Government is planning to revitalise Luxembourg’s language leave scheme. New legislation is being drafted to simplify administrative procedures and increase digitalisation of the application process. Applications for the paid language leave has risen over 50% since 2021.
• Twelve municipalities have been awarded for eco-friendly projects in this year’s “Méi Natur an eise Stied an Dierfer” competition, aimed at boosting green spaces and biodiversity. Strassen, Esch-sur-Alzette and Mertzig topped the four prize categories, with winners receiving a tree and a share of €6 million in climate-fund support. Minister Serge Wilmes said more greenery was needed to improve quality of life in public spaces and to adapt to the consequences of climate change.
• EU finance ministers agreed today to impose a three-euro duty on low-value imports into the bloc from July 2026 to help tackle a flood of small parcels ordered via the likes of Shein and Temu. Last year, 4.6 billion small retail packages entered the European Union – more than 145 per second – with 91 percent originating in China and their numbers expected to keep rising.
• France has released a revamped roadmap to become carbon neutral by 2050, with an ambitious plan to phase out oil and gas. The updated National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC-3) foresees the end of oil use between 2040 and 2045. Fossil gas would be phased out by 2050.

On Air
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Figure of the day
45,000 people have retired in Luxembourg over the last five years, including 40,972 in the private sector and 4,217 civil servants. In the public sector just 8% of people work until 65 or beyond, while in the private sector some 23.5% people continue to work.
7% of civil servants enter retirement at 55 or 56 years of age, and 23% between 57 and 59 years of age.
14% of retirees in the last five years worked in construction.

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