Brazilians have been issued with 11,000 passports over the past five years

Between 2020 and 2025, 54,229 people were issued with passports of the Grand Duchy. This is stated in the official response to a parliamentary question from the Minister for Justice, Elisabeth Margue, the Minister for Education, Claude Meisch, and the Prime Minister, Luc Frieden. People from Brazil topped the list in terms of the number of new citizens: over the five-year period, 11,219 Brazilians were granted Luxembourgish citizenship. They were followed by citizens of neighbouring European countries — France (8,355 people) and Portugal (7,029 people). The top ten countries whose nationals were most active in acquiring local citizenship also included Belgium, the USA, Germany, Italy, the UK, Russia and Montenegro.

An analysis of demographic data shows that the 30–44 age group is the most common among Brazilians and Americans. At the same time, among those from France, Belgium, Germany and Italy, older people – aged between 45 and 59 – predominate. It is noteworthy that the Portuguese diaspora stands out for its youth: the largest group of new Luxembourgers of Portuguese origin consisted of young people aged 18 to 29 (2,920 people). The gender breakdown among the main nationalities is relatively even; however, among citizens of Belgium and Italy, citizenship was more frequently granted to men, whilst among those from Brazil, the USA and Portugal, it was more frequently granted to women.

In addition to the traditional leading groups, the government has recorded a sharp percentage increase in the number of new citizens from the Middle East and Asia. Excluding countries in North and South America, the greatest increase has been observed among Syrian nationals, whose numbers rose from 30 to 208. Significant growth has also been noted among former citizens of India (from 34 to 167), Turkey (from 37 to 141), Morocco (from 24 to 110) and Iraq (from 13 to 77). For Syrians and Indians, the most common age at which a passport is obtained is between 30 and 44 years.

In line with demographic changes, the Luxembourg authorities are continuing to adapt their integration programme. The compulsory course ‘Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg’, which focuses on the country’s history, institutions and democratic values, will be moved to a new digital platform in early 2027. To obtain a certificate, candidates must complete 24 hours of training or pass the state examination. Although the teaching materials are regularly updated, the government has not yet set a specific timeframe for conducting an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of this educational programme.