Published on
Switzerland will hold a referendum this summer to decide on whether to cap the country’s population at 10 million, the government said.
Proponents of the initiative, led by the national-conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament, tallied enough petition signatures to put the issue to the country-wide vote on 14 June, the government said.
The federal statistics office says Switzerland had a population of 9.1 million people by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
People born abroad have made up about 30% of that in recent years. Most have come from EU countries and some have taken Swiss citizenship.
The proposal would enshrine into law the rule that Switzerland’s permanent resident population, including both Swiss citizens and foreigners with residency permits, must not exceed 10 million by 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 caused by population growth.
But critics across much of the rest of the political spectrum say the proposal oversimplifies a complex issue.
They point out that Switzerland often relies on foreign workers at hospitals, hotels, construction sites and universities, and any restrictions on migration and free movement of people would violate existing international commitments.
For years, the SVP has sought to curb migration into the rich Alpine country, but with limited success.
A 2016 referendum to automatically deport immigrants found guilty of minor offences and a 2020 proposal to end free movement with the EU both failed at the ballot box.
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 EU members, however Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are not. The area brings together some 450 million people.
Additional sources • AP