Country Comments

Based on the highest amount of resource use per person in the world, Luxembourg has over ten times more citizens than its renewable resources can support. If its citizens do not reduce their consumptive lifestyles then the country needs to focus on reducing it population significantly to become sustainable. Luxembourg has experienced well below replacement fertility since the early 1970’s. However its population has practically doubled since then due almost entirely to immigration.

The OECD reports pressures on the environment are numerous and strong: urban sprawl, landscape fragmentation and immense traffic from across the border. Transport remains the largest energy consumer due to the demand for fuel sales to non residents. It has the highest car ownership rate and highest energy consumption per capita in Europe. A person living in Luxembourg consumes about 24 tonnes of materials a year in comparison to the OECD average of 15 tonnes. Both built up areas and those occupied by infrastructure have increased in response to demographic and economic growth. The development inhibits the natural working of the soils, degrades natural habitats and puts pressure on biodiversity which has been in decline for 40 years. The World Bank did not provide any data on contraception percentage use for the nation.