Preliminary Projections From National Broadcaster SRF Show 45% In Favour And 55% Against The “No To A Switzerland With 10 Million” Sustainability Initiative As Voters Prioritised Economic Stability And The Country’s Ties With The European Union Over Immigration Restrictions
According to Reuters, Al Jazeera and AP, Switzerland has rejected a referendum proposal to cap its population at 10 million, with preliminary projections published by national broadcaster SRF indicating about 45 percent of voters were in favour and 55 percent against, as voters prioritised economic stability and the country’s ties with the European Union over immigration concerns.
The proposal would have enshrined into law rules that Switzerland’s permanent resident population must not exceed 10 million before 2050. If the population had reached 9.5 million the government would have taken steps to limit it through measures on asylum, family reunification, residency permit issuance and renegotiating international agreements.
If the population had hit 10 million, the government would have been forced to end its free-movement agreement with the European Union, which is Switzerland’s largest trading partner. While Switzerland is not an EU member, the nation is integrated through over 120 bilateral agreements, granting it access to the EU single market and the free movement of people and trade in goods.
At the end of 2025, approximately 9.1 million people were living in Switzerland. Since the introduction of the free movement of persons in 2002, the population has grown by around 1.7 million, mainly due to immigration. The Swiss People’s Party called the situation “uncontrolled immigration,” saying “our small country is bursting at the seams” with rising rents, overburdened infrastructure and exploding costs for taxpayers. Foreign-born residents now make up about 27 per cent of the population.
The Swiss government and parliament had both opposed the proposal before Sunday’s vote. The result reaffirms Switzerland’s commitment to its bilateral relationship with the EU over demographic restriction; a significant outcome as anti-immigration sentiment continues to rise across Europe.
To check out our previous coverage on European immigration, Swiss politics, and EU relations, read our articles here.
