Luxembourg

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How’s Life?

Luxembourg performs well across a number of well-being dimensions relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Luxembourg outperforms the average in income,  health, environmental quality, safety and life satisfaction. It underperforms average in education. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Luxembourg, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 44 773 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 67% of people aged 15 to 64 in Luxembourg have a paid job, slightly above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 70% of men are in paid work, compared with 64% of women. In Luxembourg, 3% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 3% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 2% of women.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Luxembourg, 74% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, lower than the OECD average of 79%. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 477 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 488. On average in Luxembourg, girls outperformed boys by 9 points, above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Luxembourg is around 83 years, two years higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 85 years, compared with 80 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 10 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Luxembourg, 85% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, slightly higher than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Luxembourg, where most people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, in line with the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 90% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 69%, and reflecting the practice of compulsory voting in Luxembourg.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Luxembourgish people gave it a 7.4 grade on average, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Luxembourg

OECD’s periodic surveys of Luxembourg’s economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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