German Speakers in Luxembourg: 56% (2011 Census)

According to Luxembourg's 2011 Census, 56% of the resident population speaks German.

Trilingual Reality

Luxembourg has three official languages:

• Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch) — National language; spoken by ~77% (2011); daily life, parliament, media
• French — Legislation, administration, courts, commerce; spoken by ~98%
• German — Print media, church, some education; spoken by 56%

German's Specific Roles

• Print press: Major dailies (Luxemburger Wort, Tageblatt) primarily German
• Education: Primary literacy taught in German; secondary transitions to French
• Church: Catholic/Protestant services often German
• Cross-border: 200,000+ daily commuters from Germany (Trier, Saarland), Belgium, France

Language Dynamics

• Luxembourgish gaining ground in media, administration (2018 law)
• English rising fast in business, finance, EU institutions (~80% workplace use)
• Portuguese ~15% (largest immigrant community)

Census Caveat

2011 data; next census delayed. STATEC publishes annual estimates. German comprehension likely higher than active speech—many understand but prefer French/English/Luxembourgish.

In Luxembourg, code-switching mid-sentence isn't exceptional—it's Tuesday.