Luxembourg is a wealthy country. The average salary in Luxembourg is much higher than in other EU states. Our welfare state offers much to its citizens – good educational opportunities, robust social security, and plenty of support for people in difficult personal or economic circumstances. However, there are also issues: high housing costs, excessive traffic, and environmental damage caused by high levels of consumption. All of this has an effect on individuals’ well-being and health. This is of course also true of young people.

This is all the more the case given that not all young people have equal access to take advantage of economic opportunities and state services. There are various reasons for this. How a child or adolescent’s school career progresses or how successfully they manage to begin their career is heavily dependent on relationships at home: Is it a well-off household with parents who also have a high level of education? Or are financial resources at home very limited? Do the parents have a migration background, and is language a barrier to the children gaining a good school-leaving qualification? Young people may also grow up without parents, which is of course a whole different challenge.

There are many government measures designed to help young people gain a good education and find work. However, there are many other circumstances that play a role in young people’s success or lack thereof. These factors are set out in detail in this section.