In a referendum held on 14 June, Swiss citizens voted against an initiative that would have capped the country’s permanent population at 10 million. The results were announced by the federal government on Sunday.
According to the results, 54.99% of voters opposed the initiative, whilst 45.21% supported it. The Associated Press reports that turnout was nearly 59%.
The initiative was put forward by the country’s largest right-wing conservative party, the Swiss People’s Party. It proposed preventing the population from exceeding 10 million by 2050. If this threshold had been exceeded within two years, the authorities would have been obliged to terminate the agreement on the free movement of persons with the European Union.
Supporters of the initiative argued that population growth was placing a strain on infrastructure and the housing market. Its opponents warned that restrictions could harm the economy and complicate Switzerland’s relations with the EU.
The government and parliament opposed the proposal, but a referendum was scheduled for February after more than 100,000 citizens signed a petition calling for it.
As of the end of 2025, Switzerland’s population stood at just over 9 million. According to a forecast by the Federal Statistical Office, it could rise to 10.5 million by 2055, mainly due to migration.