Most Swiss are willing to support an initiative to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 2050, a move that could impact Switzerland’s immigration policy, labor market, and real estate market, according to local media reports.
According to a poll conducted six weeks before the nationwide referendum scheduled for June 14, 2026, 52% of respondents supported the initiative or were inclined to support it, 46% opposed it, and another 2% were undecided. Over 16,000 people participated in the survey.
The “No to 10 Million in Switzerland!” initiative is being promoted by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP). It stipulates that the country’s permanent population should not exceed 10 million people by 2050. Upon reaching an interim threshold of 9.5 million people, the government would be required to implement additional measures to limit immigration, including potentially tightening quotas on work visas and asylum applications. Reuters notes that the proposal also calls for Switzerland to withdraw from the EU agreement on the free movement of citizens.
Supporters of the initiative link the need to limit population growth to the strain on infrastructure, housing shortages, overcrowded public transportation, and rising costs for social and medical services.
The Federal Council and both chambers of parliament recommend rejecting the initiative. Authorities warn that strict restrictions on migration could create legal uncertainty, complicate relations with the European Union, and exacerbate the labor shortage in the economy. Reuters also notes that Switzerland’s population already exceeds 9 million, and the share of foreigners stood at over 27% in 2024.
For the real estate market, the possible adoption of the initiative could have a dual effect. On the one hand, limiting population growth could theoretically reduce long-term pressure on housing demand. On the other hand, stricter immigration rules and a potential reevaluation of relations with the EU could affect Switzerland’s investment appeal, the availability of labor in the construction and service sectors, as well as demand from foreign residents.
According to data from the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration, as of the end of 2024, the largest groups of the country’s permanent foreign population were citizens of Italy—346,981 thousand people, Germany—332,132 thousand, Portugal—263,028, and France—173,353. In total, 1.579 million citizens of EU/EFTA countries and 789,735 citizens of third countries resided permanently in Switzerland.
Ukrainians occupy a distinct place in Switzerland’s migration statistics following the outbreak of full-scale war. According to SEM data, in 2024 the number of individuals with active S protection status rose to 68,070 compared to 66,083 the previous year. This figure can be used as a rough estimate of the number of Ukrainian refugees in the country, although the actual number of Ukrainians in Switzerland may differ due to people holding other types of residence permits.
