Home/work commuting zones within Luxembourg
-
In 2021, 73% of employed residents are working in another municipality than the one where they live in.
73 %
A growing working population...
Since the February 2011 census, the total population of Luxembourg has risen from 512,353 to 643,941 in November 2021.
Beyond this increase, the changes in the working population are particularly significant when we look at the proportions. Between 2011 and 2021, the proportion of residents in employment rose from 43.2% (205,561) to 48.5% in 2021 (287,067).
... but who are working more and more outside their home municipality.
Since 2011, more and more residents have been working outside their municipality of residence. Over the years, this trend has been particularly noticed in municipalities close to Luxembourg City, Nordstad and Mersch, reflecting a higher concentration of residents commuting to other municipalities.
Maps 1: Share of residents working outside their municipality of residence in 2011 (A) and 2021 (B)
Thus, in 2021, the proportion of residents working in a municipality other than their place of residence was greater than 89.5% in 17 municipalities, compared with just 6 in 2011. The map is darker in 2021 because the proportion of residents working in another municipality has increased by at least 5 to 10 percentage points in most municipalities. Only 14 municipalities have lost residents, particularly Luxembourg City (-3.9%).
Luxembourg City, a major centre of attraction
It is interesting to see whether a municipality sends out more workers than it receives. The map below shows the differences in numbers of workers (difference in the size of the semicircles) and identifies the communes that are more likely to be residential (light blue semicircle = number of active people living there) or working (dark blue semicircle = number of active people working there).
Map 2: Number of working people, based on place of residence and place of work, by municipality in 2021
The first observation concerns the importance of Luxembourg City regarding the number of jobs it provides: 80,188 residents work in Luxembourg City, while only 33,970 are employed in the capital (according, in any case, to the figures obtained from residents who provided information on their municipality of work). The outskirts of Luxembourg City are not to be outdone, as the municipalities of Bertrange, Hesperange, Mamer, Niederanven and Strassen also have a high number of jobs and resident workers.
There is a contrast between the communes in the south, which seem to have a more residential profile (with the exception of Esch), and those on the outskirts of Luxembourg City, which offer more jobs than they have residents in employment.
Indeed, it is mainly around Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette that we find the most attractive municipalities to work.
Secondly, these two hubs are not only the largest, but also relatively close to each other and made up of the most densely populated municipalities in the country. They will therefore concentrate the majority of commuter flows home-work within and between them.
More than three quarters of residents
work in five employment hubs
Map 3: Main employment hubs in Luxembourg
Luxembourg has 5 employment hubs, made up of 22 municipalities that concentrate the jobs of 76.8% of working residents. The main finding is the contrast between the southern and northern parts of the country, with almost 70% of all jobs held by residents located in the south and the centre, compared with 8.1% in the north.
- Agglomération-centre
- Agglomération-Sud
- Nordstad
- Mersch
- Wiltz
The Agglomération-centre is made up of 9 municipalities with a total of 109,231 jobs. Luxembourg City alone accounts for 53.5% of the jobs of the country's residents.
Between 2011 and 2021, the structure of this commuting zone will change little or not at all, and the Agglomération-centre will attract more and more working residents.
The Agglomération-Sud is made up of 7 municipalities and has a total of 30,977 jobs, i.e. 15.2% of the total number of resident jobs, including 5.6% in Esch-sur-Alzette. It is therefore the country's second-largest employment hub and, as with the Agglomération-centre, there is a very strong relationship between the central municipality and the periphery. From 2011 to 2021, the Agglomération-Sud will confirm its attractiveness, with the extension of its catchment area stretching all the way to the western border.
The Nordstad, with 4 municipalities and 11,127 jobs, accounts for 5.45% of all resident jobs, 35.5% of which are in Ettelbruck. However, since 2011, the proportion of residents of the cluster's municipalities working in the Nordstad has fallen in favour of the Agglomération-centre, particularly in Ettelbruck and Diekirch.
With 3,243 jobs, Mersch, consisting of its own municipality, represents 1.6% of the total number of jobs held by residents. However, 47.3% of Mersch residents work in the Agglomération-centre.
Wiltz, the country's most northerly centre, consisting of its own municipality, has 2,147 jobs and accounts for 1.1% of all resident jobs.
Little change in commuting structures
between 2011 and 2021
Maps 9: Commuting flows of more than 100 residents in 2011 and 2021
Population growth has generated more and more flows and intensified existing ones. However, the structure has not changed significantly, as most flows continue to be directed towards Luxembourg City.
Similarly, there has been little change within the Agglomération-Sud in terms of structure, apart from the appearance of flows from Dippach and Reckange-sur-Mess towards Esch-sur-Alzette. For these two centres, it is above all the intensification of existing flows that is visible.
Luxembourg is a very dynamic country whose area of attraction extends beyond its borders. As a result, the number of residents is increasing, creating a greater demand for housing and jobs throughout the country. Generally, this means more and more journeys from home to work.
Methodology
In analysing census responses, only residents' journeys are considered. Cross-border journeys are excluded, as cross-border workers are not included in the population census.
A significant number of respondents did not specify their municipality of work, but this does not constitute a bias in the definition of commuting areas or the intensity of inter-municipal flows. This can be explained, among other things, by the fact that some residents, depending on their job, may work on several different sites or locations.
Distribution and definitions of residents by activity mode in 2011 and 2021
Find out more about home/work commuting zones within Luxembourg
More results
In the coming months, various publications will be produced for the public, but also for the public specialised in demographic issues. At the same time, statistical tables on the various census topics will be published on the Statistics Portal.
Why is the census important?
Census results are essential information for public policy decision-making.
Census data help to forecast needs for land use planning, schools, nurseries, hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, housing, etc.
Last update