On Tuesday 13 January 2026, Luxembourg’s National Health Observatory announced the publication of the Country Health Profile 2025 for Luxembourg, which provides a comparative overview of health systems across European Union (EU) member states, as well as Iceland and Norway.

Country health profiles are produced by the Organisation for Economic co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in collaboration with the European Commission and relevant national authorities.

Forming part of the State of Health in the EU initiative, the country's health profiles assess the characteristics, challenges and reforms of health systems, as well as their effectiveness, efficiency, accessibility and resilience. Published every two years, the latest edition includes a section dedicated to pharmaceutical policies.

Presented by Juliane Winkelmann, representing the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, and Anne-Charlotte Lorcy, General Coordinator of the National Health Observatory, the event also featured a speech by Martine Deprez, Luxembourg Minister of Health and Social Security, who stated: “Country health profiles provide public decision-makers with a solid evidence base by placing the performance of national health systems in an international comparative perspective. By identifying strengths, weaknesses and gaps between countries, they constitute an essential tool to guide the development of evidence-based public policies.”

Dirk Van den Steen, Head of the State of Health unit at the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission, also presented the synthesis report accompanying the country health profiles, outlining major trends in health system reforms across the EU, in the presence of Anne Calteux, Head of Representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg.

Health Status and Risk Factors

According to the report, life expectancy in Luxembourg reached 83.5 years in 2024, nearly two years above the European average, although a significant proportion of years lived after the age of 65 are affected by activity limitations.

Despite having the lowest share of people aged over 65 (15%) in the EU, this figure is expected to almost double by 2050. In 2021, one in four deaths was linked to behavioural risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

Positive trends include lower smoking rates among both adults and adolescents compared to the European average. In addition, the share of adolescents reporting having been drunk more than once in their lifetime declined sharply and was among the lowest in the EU in 2022. By contrast, rising obesity, sedentary behaviour and the use of electronic cigarettes among adolescents rose.

Inequalities in risk factors remain pronounced, with people with lower education levels more exposed to obesity and smoking.

Health System & Performance

Data highlights generally positive outcomes in terms of effectiveness and responsiveness to needs with preventable mortality through prevention (120 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022) and through treatment (60 deaths per 100,000), which is below the European average (168 and 90 deaths per 100,000 respectively).

In terms of access to care, only 1.9% of the population with medical needs reported being unable to access care due to cost, waiting times or distance, representing one of the lowest rates of unmet medical needs in the EU.

Results from the OECD Patient-Reported Indicators Surveys (PaRIS) showed that 93% of respondents reported receiving very good-quality care from primary care providers, while 91% benefited from a high level of person-centred care, including involvement in decision-making.

High Health Expenditure Largely Financed by Public Funds

Luxembourg’s health system is characterised by high per-capita health expenditure and universal coverage. In 2023, 85% of current health expenditure was financed by public funds, above the EU average. Household out-of-pocket spending was among the lowest in the EU.

One-third of expenditure is devoted to outpatient care, above the EU average of 28%. By contrast, spending on prevention, at 3% in 2023, declined since the COVID-19 pandemic and remains below the EU average of 4%.

Persistent Efficiency Challenges

Avoidable hospitalisations linked to certain chronic conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and diabetes, remained above the EU average in 2023. According to the National Health Observatory, this underlines the need to strengthen integrated care pathways, particularly as patient-perceived care coordination remains limited.

In the pharmaceutical sector, low use of generic medicines and inappropriate medication use, particularly among older people, such as benzodiazepines, remain as areas of concern.

Strong Reliance on Foreign-trained Professionals

In 2023, medical density stood at 4.0 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, slightly below the EU average of 4.3. In contrast, nursing density reached 14.2 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, well above the EU average of 8.5. System resilience depends on continued strengthening of national training capacity.

Resilience Strengthened Through Digitalisation

The report notes that health system resilience increasingly relies on digitalisation. Luxembourg is actively developing digital health tools, including improvements to the shared patient health record.