Spending behaviour patterns for EU staff in Belgium is used for calculating the ‘JBLI COEFFICIENT ‘, while 20% of staff lives in Luxembourg. 

The 2026 Family Budget Survey, one of the important components for calculating the correction coefficients, was launched on the 11th of March for staff living in Belgium. Unfortunately, spending habits of staff in Luxembourg, who also have the 100% coefficient (=Brussels), is not considered for this exercise, as the bilateral parities are only calculated with reference to Brussels (Article 1(1) of Annex XI to the staff regulations).  

Staff in all other locations are invited to participate in the regular survey, except our colleagues in Luxembourg.  

The data collected from the survey are used to update the calculation of correction coefficients for all Intra-EU and Extra-EU duty stations relative to Brussels. The correction coefficients equalise the various levels of purchasing power of staff remuneration across workplaces and are used to adjust the level and evolution of staff salaries and additional allowances. 

A consumption behaviour of an average household is established from the data collected and the proportion of the total budget that is spent on different groups of consumption. See Eurostat report on the 2025 annual update of remuneration and pensions of EU officials. 

If the latest survey will change the current pattern of consumption behaviour and really reflect an average EU-staff-typical-household in Belgium is difficult to say, but it will certainly not reflect the expenditure pattern of an average EU-staff-household in Luxembourg! 

This information is simply not collected! 

At the same time, rising cost of living in Luxembourg is reported to be a major challenge for the recruitment of staff at the European institutions.  

If you want to make your own estimate with your own typical expenses, Eurostat has provided these tools.