State of health and health determinants

The European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), to which the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (GDL) contributed in 2014 and 2019, provided an insight into the following aspects:

• for a person's state of health: their general state of health, chronic illnesses or conditions, accidents and injuries, time off work due to health issues, physical and sensory personal limitations, personal care, domestic activities, pain and mental health;
• for health determinants: body mass index (BMI), exercise, diet, smoking (including passive smoking), alcohol use, social support and informal healthcare or assistance provided.

State of health and well-being

Self-perceived health: in 2014, in Luxembourg, 69.6 % of people aged 15 or over said that they were in 'very good' or 'good' health.

Chronic illnesses and conditions: in 2014, in Luxembourg and on average in other European Union countries, the most commonly encountered illnesses and conditions were lumbar conditions and other chronic back conditions (29.8 % in Luxembourg and 23.2 % across the EU).

Functional limitations caused by a health problem: In 2014, in Luxembourg, more than 1 in 3 people (36.4 %) reported having experienced at least 6 months of limitations because of a health problem.

Depressive symptoms: in Luxembourg, in 2014, over the two years leading up to the survey, 8.3 % of people aged 15 or over showed symptoms of depression; around half of these showed severe depression symptoms.
Across the EU, around 6.7 % of people on average show symptoms of depression.

Obesity, nutrition and exercise

With 16.5 % of those aged 15 or over being obese, Luxembourg is exactly in line with the European average (16.5 %). Around a third (31.9 %) of Luxembourg's population is overweight.

In Luxembourg, 48.1 % of people aged 15 or over do not eat fruit and/or vegetables on a daily basis. This is a little higher than the European average (32.9 %).

In the EU, around 1 in 2 people (49.8 % according to estimated EU data) do not practise physical endurance activities. In Luxembourg, that figure sits at 35.3 %. On the other hand, 42.3 % of the Luxembourg population do over 150 minutes of physical endurance training per week, compared to 29.9 % across the European Union.

Tobacco and alcohol consumption

In Luxembourg, 18.3 % of people aged 15 or over smoke (occasionally or daily). This equates to around 1 Luxembourg resident in 5, compared to 24.2 % in the EU.

In Luxembourg, 25.0 % of people aged 15 or over are exposed to tobacco smoke on a daily basis, which is below the EU average of 22.6 %.

Weekly alcohol consumption is higher among Luxembourg residents 15 or over (43.1 %) than on average in the European Union (28.8 %, estimated EU data).