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Diversity in the heart of Europe

Nick Walker

On the map, wedged in between three European powerhouses - Germany, France and Belgium - Luxembourg appears somewhat diminutive, but it punches above its weight compared with other European states of similar size, such as Andorra or Montenegro, thanks to two factors: it was one of the founding members of the European Union and it is one of the richest countries in the world on a per capita basis.

Luxembourg's population of about 500,000 has doubled over the past 100 years. However, this growth has been uneven and can be divided into four main periods: a phase of decline during the first four decades, a post-war baby boom in the 1950s, followed by a rapid decline which only began to stabilise in the 1970s, and a renewed growth phase since the 1990s due to an increase in the birth rate, which is largely the result of a rise in immigration.

And in recent years, immigration has increased considerably. More than 37 per cent of the population are non-native Luxembourgers. Well-integrated foreign residents and cross-border workers account for much of the active population.

More than 150 nationalities have made their homes in Luxembourg. The main communities in Luxembourg are the Portuguese and Italians, followed by the French, Belgians and Germans. More than half of the population of Luxembourg City is foreign.

Since the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, Luxembourg has also seen many immigrants arrive to start new lives from Balkan states, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. More than 10,000 immigrants arrive in Luxembourg, mostly from EU states, as well as Eastern Europe each year.

Multicultural Luxembourg society is certainly vibrant, but it is also facing challenges. The decrease in the number of young people aged 15 or less is corresponding with an increase in the number of people aged 65 or over, while the intermediary age group has remained stable.

The number of people aged 65 or over has quadrupled this century. This has serious implications for the sustainability of the pension system and other features of the welfare state.

There has also been a marked decrease in family size. At the last census in 1991, more than a quarter of private households were made up of people living on their own. In 2000, the average fertility rate was 1.78 children per woman. Although the total number of births increased by 2.5 per cent compared with 1999, this positive trend was solely due to foreigners, whose birth rate rose by 3.65 per cent.

In most countries, nationality is usually determined by birth. Each year, however, more than 1,000 foreign nationals obtain Luxembourg nationality.

Those who have ties with Luxembourg either by birth or blood can obtain Luxembourg nationality between the ages of 18 and 25, through a declaration of option under one of the following conditions: they must have been born in Luxembourg by foreign parents, be married to a Luxembourger, have completed their entire education in Luxembourg or have resided in Luxembourg for the past five years.

They will also have to give up their original nationality.

Foreigners can also obtain Luxembourg nationality through naturalisation if they are over the age of 18 and have resided in Luxembourg for at least five years. They must have a command

of one of the country's three official languages - German, French or Luxembourgish.

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