Swiss voters weigh population cap that could strain EU ties
A Swiss referendum backed by the SVP would require action if the population nears 10 million before 2050.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Swiss voters cast final ballots on Sunday in a referendum that would cap the country’s population at 10 million, a proposal that Reuters and The Associated Press reported could put pressure on Switzerland’s ties with the European Union. The measure, promoted by the Swiss People’s Party, links concerns about immigration to strains on housing, public services and infrastructure.
The proposed constitutional amendment would require Switzerland’s population to remain below 10 million through 2050. Official projections cited by Reuters and AP show the country is currently expected to reach that level in the early 2040s.
Results were expected to start arriving around midday local time, or 10:00 GMT, according to Reuters and AP. Recent polling by gfs.bern indicated the vote could be close.
What the proposal would do
If the population reached 9.5 million before 2050, the initiative would force the Swiss government to take steps to limit asylum, family reunification and residence permits, Reuters and AP reported. The measure could also require Switzerland to abandon its agreement with the EU on the free movement of people.
The SVP calls the plan a “sustainability initiative” and argues that population growth has put stress on Switzerland’s infrastructure, homes, social programmes, natural resources and way of life, according to Reuters and AP. Switzerland’s federal government and parliament oppose the initiative.
Opponents say immigration has supplied workers and skills to important parts of the economy, including healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals and technology, Reuters and AP reported. They also warn that approving the cap could damage relations with Brussels; the EU is Switzerland’s largest trading partner.
Some figures in the SVP have framed the vote as a warning rather than a demand to end free movement. “I don’t want freedom of movement ended,” Heinz Taennler, an SVP politician and finance director of the canton of Zug, told Reuters and AP. “Another million people can still immigrate to Switzerland, but the government needs to take action.”
Immigration debate in a direct democracy
Switzerland holds national referendums regularly, usually four times a year, giving voters a direct role in setting policy. Immigration has appeared on the ballot several times over the past five decades, according to Reuters and AP.
The 2014 “against mass immigration” referendum was the only such immigration vote to pass, Reuters and AP reported. Campaigners at the time raised fears over overpopulation and an increase in the number of Muslims in Switzerland.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that foreign-born residents made up 32 percent of Switzerland’s population in 2024. Among the OECD’s 38 members, only Luxembourg and Australia had higher shares, according to the organisation.
Since Switzerland and the EU loosened rules in 2002 allowing citizens to live and work across borders, Switzerland’s population has risen 23 percent to 9.1 million at the end of last year, according to government data cited by Reuters and AP. Economic output rose 24 percent over the same period, the data showed.
International migration remains a charged political issue across Europe, Reuters and AP reported, as countries face ageing populations and rising hostility toward foreigners. Swiss experts cited by the news agencies said that while many countries restrict immigration, no country has voted to cap its total population.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.