Swiss Voters Reject Proposal to Limit Population
Preliminary results show that nearly 54% of Swiss voters rejected a proposal to cap the country's permanent population at 10 million by 2050.
/nginx/o/2026/02/13/17441833t1h7797.jpg)
Swiss voters have turned down a referendum initiative that aimed to limit the country's population. According to preliminary figures released by the federal government, almost 54% of voters opposed the proposal, with turnout across the nation exceeding 57%.
The initiative was put forward by the national-conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP), which holds the most seats in parliament. However, the idea was rejected by the government, all other major political parties, as well as business associations and trade unions.
The proposal sought to enshrine in law a cap on the number of permanent residents—including both Swiss citizens and foreigners with residence permits—at 10 million by the year 2050. Currently, Switzerland has a population of 9.1 million, according to data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office for the third quarter of 2025.
In recent years, foreign-born individuals have traditionally made up about 30% of the total population. The majority come from European Union countries, and some have acquired Swiss citizenship.
