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- October 13, 202618°
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- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
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- October 13, 202618°
Switzerland rejects proposal to cap population at 10 million
Swiss voters rejected a referendum proposal to limit the population to 10 million by 2050. Initial estimates showed that economic stability and relations with the European Union outweighed migration concerns.
Swiss voters rejected a proposal in a referendum on Sunday that aimed to cap the country's population at 10 million. Initial estimates showed a result of 55 percent against and 45 percent in favor.
The vote stood out as a choice between migration and economic stability. Voters appeared to prioritize preserving economic stability and relations with the European Union over the plan to limit the population.
The right-wing Swiss People's Party championed the proposal. It envisioned the population not exceeding 10 million by 2050; if that threshold were crossed within two years, Switzerland would be required to cancel its free movement agreement with the EU.
The referendum was compared to the 2016 Brexit vote. The business community voiced concern that this step could disrupt the free movement of labor between Switzerland and the EU.
Sociologist Urs Bieri said the initiative was presented from the start as having a "chaotic" character, and voters feared possible side effects. According to Bieri, the concern was not limited to migration; whether enough workers would be available in care and health services was also debated.
Switzerland's population was 7.2 million in the early 2000s and as of 2026 has slightly exceeded 9 million. According to the Avenir Suisse think tank, of the roughly two million people who came to the country, 64 percent are EU citizens.
The European Commission had previously warned Bern that a referendum aimed at limiting population growth could affect relations with Brussels. The Swiss government had also called on voters to reject the proposal, arguing that the plan would harm both EU cooperation and the labor market.
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