Brazil will also surpass Belgium in August 2023 to become the 2nd foreign country with the most resident Luxembourg citizens.
Latest Numbers Published
Luxembourg’s National Registry of Physical Persons (RNPP, french Registre national des personnes physiques) has published its quarterly update on the number of Luxembourg citizens living abroad. The June 30th, 2023 update published to Luxembourg’s Open Government Data platform shows some major changes have or are about to take place.
Analysis of the Growth
First, the number of Luxembourg citizens living in the Americas, specifically the United States, Brazil, and Argentina, has surged past the milestone of 40,000 citizens living abroad. This trend is largely due to the Luxembourg dual citizens who have recently obtained citizenship through a Luxembourgish immigrant ancestor.
Since March 31, 2023, there are 637 new Luxembourg citizens living in the United States, bringing the total to 14,111 citizens. In Brazil, it’s an additional 1,156 new citizens over the last three months, equaling out to 26,743 total Luxembourg citizens in the country. Argentina grew by an additional 22 citizens to reach 483.
Second, the data also shows that Brazil will soon be the second foreign country with the most Luxembourg citizens in residence. For context: As of March 31, 2023, Belgium had the second most Luxembourg citizens in residence, with a total of 26,666. However, from April to June, the number of Luxembourg citizens in Belgium only increased by 219, staying at 26,885.
In Brazil, on the other hand, the number of Luxembourgish citizens increased by 1,156 during the same period, making the total 26,743. Since 2020, the number of Luxembourg citizens in Brazil has been growing by 1,133 per quarter on average.
Therefore, by all estimates, the number of Luxembourg citizens in Brazil is likely to surpass Luxembourg’s neighbor Belgium by August 2023. This is a big change because as recently as 2018, Belgium had the most Luxembourg citizens in residence and Brazil was only in fifth place.
Going Further
In fact, the number of Luxembourgers living abroad has shot up all over the world. Between December 31, 2018, and June 30, 2023, the number of Luxembourg citizens abroad grew by 194% from 68,798 to 133,567.
In 2018, of the 68.798 Luxembourgers abroad, 54,291 or 79% resided in Luxembourg’s neighbor countries (France, Belgium, and Germany). Back then, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina made up 10% of the Luxembourg citizens abroad, or 6,643 total people.
Since 2018, the population of Luxembourgers in all six countries has ballooned. The population of Luxembourg citizens moving to France, Belgium, and Germany has grown by 46% over five years, reaching 79,234 citizens. At the same time, the population in the three countries in the Americas has grown by 522% to 41,337. As of July 2023, Luxembourg’s neighbor countries make up 59% of its citizens abroad while the population in the Americas now totals 31% of the citizens living abroad.
Today the number of Luxembourg citizens in the United States is equivalent to the population of Bettembourg, Luxembourg’s 8th largest commune. Meanwhile, the population in Brazil is nearly equivalent to the population of Differdange, the third largest commune in Luxembourg.
Conclusions
The increase in Luxembourg citizens living abroad, particularly in the Americas, reflects a broader trend of global mobility and transnational connections. Such growth enhances cultural exchange, strengthens international relations, and promotes diverse perspectives within these countries.
As the number of Luxembourg citizens in the Americas continues to rise, it’ll be interesting to see how this growth shapes the future of these countries and Luxembourg itself. Regardless, one thing is clear: the small European nation of Luxembourg has an increasingly global reach, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down.
