Swiss Voters to Decide June 14 on Capping Population at 10 Million Through 2050

Switzerland will hold a national referendum on June 14 on whether to cap its population at 10 million until 2050. If the total surpasses 10 million for two consecutive years, the government would be required to terminate the Free Movement of Persons agreement. The agreement has allowed citizens of European Union countries to work and study in Switzerland without a visa since 2002.

Termination would put at risk the full set of bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the European Union. More than 30 percent of permanent residents were born abroad. Last year, 120,000 Europeans moved to Switzerland, and 400,000 people commute daily from France, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Liechtenstein.

The Swiss People’s Party held its convention on a cold Saturday in late March in the town of Maienfeld. The initiative is framed by its backers as a sustainability measure to address housing shortages, rising rents, overcrowded trains, and loss of green space. Switzerland ranks sixth in the world for GDP per capita according to the World Bank, while the United States ranks twelfth.

Recent polls showed support for the population cap reaching as high as 52 percent. Switzerland has considered limits on foreign residents before. The Schwarzenbach Initiative, which sought to cap foreign residents at 10 percent, was rejected in 1970.

A measure titled “Against Mass Immigration” was narrowly adopted in 2014. An initiative to strip foreigners with criminal records of residency rights was rejected by an 18-point margin. David Raedler, a Green Party member of the Vaud cantonal council, led a successful 2024 referendum opposing the expansion of national highways.

He has argued that many voters feel “too many people” are straining infrastructure and quality of life.