Switzerland votes on capping population at 10 million

Swiss voters went to the polls in June 2026 on a referendum proposal, backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), to cap the country's resident population at 10 million. Supporters argue years of high immigration have strained housing supply and public services, while opponents warn the move could damage Switzerland's economy and its relationship with the European Union.

The vote is one of the most direct tests yet of how a binding referendum mechanism can be used to set hard numerical limits on immigration, a question many European governments are grappling with through softer policy levers. Its outcome will be closely watched as a signal of how far direct-democracy systems are willing to go on population policy.