A sign stands in a field near the village of Knonau, ahead of a June 14 vote on a plan backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) to limit population growth to 10 million inhabitants
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Switzerland will decide on Sunday (June 14, 2026) in a referendum on a proposal to cap the population at 10 million, a move some have likened to Britain’s Brexit vote that could have far-reaching consequences for the economy and relations with the European Union.What does the proposal envisage?
That Switzerland’s population, currently at 9.1 million, must not exceed 10 million before 2050. That is not expected to occur until the early 2040s.
Once the population reached 9.5 million, the government would have to introduce stricter immigration rules, notably in asylum and family reunification. That is forecast to happen by about 2031, but could be as soon as 2029.
