Jim TankersleyJun 14, 2026 – 11.59amBauma, Switzerland | For 50 years, Walter Nef has carved toys and cheese boards from maple trees that grow near his quiet village outside Zurich, which seems louder to him by the day. There are more cars, more construction cranes, more people, and not just in this valley. Switzerland, Nef says, seems just about full.That is why Nef says he supports a nationwide initiative, in an election on Sunday (Monday AEST), to cap the resident population at 10 million. The measure aims to drastically reduce immigration as the country approaches that level, which it could reach in the next decade.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
Switzerland wants to cap its population at 10m. Voters will decide
One of the world’s richest countries is about to hold a referendum on a measure that would curb migration and most likely the economy.
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