Swiss referendum would cap country’s population at 10 million

A poster of the Swiss People's Party for a moderate immigration initiative reading 'we're too tight!' is displayed in a street in Lausanne, Switzerland, Sept. 8, 2020. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP, File)

GENEVA — Switzerland will hold a referendum on a proposal to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million, the latest bid by the top right-wing party to limit immigration. Passage could trigger a new showdown with its European neighbours.

Proponents of the initiative, led by the anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party that has the most seats in parliament, tallied enough petition signatures to put the issue on national ballots on June 14, the government said Wednesday.

The federal statistics office says Switzerland had 9.1 million people as of the end of the third quarter of 2025. Traditionally, people born abroad have made up about 30 per cent of that in recent years. Most have come from European Union countries. Some have taken Swiss citizenship.

The proposal would enshrine into law rules that Switzerland’s permanent resident population — both Swiss citizens and foreigners with residency papers — must not exceed 10 million before 2050.

If the population reaches 9.5 million before then the government would take steps to limit it such as through measures on asylum, family reunification, residency permit issuance and renegotiating international agreements.

The idea, proponents say, would be to help protect the environment, natural resources, infrastructure and the social safety net from strains of population growth.

The vote is part of Switzerland’s direct democracy that gives voters a direct say in policymaking, usually four times a year, through the ballot box.

For years, the party — known as SVP by its German-language acronym — has sought to curb a rise in migration into the rich Alpine country with mixed results. Many other western countries have seen rising anti-immigration sentiment too.

Critics — across much of the rest of the political spectrum — say the proposal oversimplifies a complex issue: namely that Switzerland benefits from its ties to its neighbours, especially four bordering EU countries Austria, France, Germany and Italy.

For example, they say Switzerland often relies on foreign workers at hospitals, hotels, construction sites and universities, and any such restrictions on migration and free movement of people would violate Switzerland’s existing international commitments.

Switzerland is part of Europe’s Schengen zone, created over four decades ago, that today brings together some 29 countries that allow visa-free circulation. Most are European Union members: Switzerland, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are not. The area brings together some 450 million people.

Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press