Luxembourg has a population of around 680,000 — remarkably small for a sovereign state. What makes it unusual is the proportion of foreigners: nearly half the resident population holds non-Luxembourgish citizenship. The largest groups are Portuguese, French, Italian, Belgian, and German. In Luxembourg City itself, Luxembourgers are actually a minority.
This diversity is partly a legacy of the steel industry, which drew labour from southern Europe in the 1960s and 70s, and partly a result of the booming financial sector, which continues to attract workers from across the EU. The country also hosts a large number of cross-border workers — frontaliers — who commute daily from France, Germany, and Belgium, adding another 200,000 or so people to the daily population.
Despite this cosmopolitan mix, there is a strong sense of Luxembourgish identity. The national motto — Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin ("We want to remain what we are") — dates to the 19th century and still resonates. Luxembourgish became an official language in 1984 and is taught in schools; it functions as the everyday glue that holds this diverse society together.
Luxembourgers tend to be reserved on first meeting but warm once a connection is made. The country is prosperous — it has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world — and this shows in a comfortable, well-ordered quality of life. The expat and international community is large enough that English is widely understood and used, particularly in the capital.
Religion
Historically strongly Roman Catholic, though regular attendance has declined steadily. The Catholic Church retains a visible cultural presence — village churches, religious festivals — but Luxembourg is functionally a secular society.