Voters in Switzerland cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country’s population at 10 million.

Early results showed Swiss voters were leaning against it.

The populist Swiss People's Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighbouring European Union.

Critics call the bid a self-inflicted wound, saying the boom in migration over the last generation has brought foreign labour and skills to sectors such as healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals and technology.

Some also worry the proposal, if approved, will weaken critical ties with Brussels. The EU is Switzerland’s top trading partner.

Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest.

Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 54 percent of voters rejected the proposal, with turnout exceeding 57 percent nationwide.

Results were still pending from many of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.

The Swiss People's Party put forward the “sustainability initiative” measure, saying Swiss infrastructure, housing, social programmes, natural resources and way of life have been strained by demographic growth.

The federal government and Parliament oppose the idea.

Swiss democracy gives voters a direct say in policymaking through referendums typically held four times a year. Most ballots are cast through the mail, and in-person voting ends at noon local time on Sunday.

A “yes” vote would require the Swiss government to take action to cap the population by 2050.

If the population reaches 9.5 million before then, the government would be forced to restrict asylum, family reunification and residency permits, and may have to scrap Switzerland’s EU deal on the free movement of people.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has reported that Switzerland had a foreign-born population of 32 percent as of 2024, behind only Luxembourg and Australia among the group's 38 member countries.

International migration has long been a sensitive issue in Europe, as nations grapple with an ageing population and increasing anti-foreigner sentiment. While that sentiment in other European countries centres on migrants from the developing world, most foreigners in Switzerland are Europeans.

Since Switzerland and the EU eased restrictions on citizens living and working across their borders in 2002, the Swiss population has grown by 23 percent, to 9.1 million as of the end of last year. Economic output has also increased, up 24 percent over the same period, government data show.

Swiss voters have repeatedly tackled the immigration issue over the last half-century. Only one such referendum – “Against mass immigration” in 2014 – narrowly passed, after campaigners stoked fears about overpopulation and rising numbers of Muslims in the country.

While many countries have limits on immigration, none has ever voted to limit its population, Swiss experts say. (AP)


Edited by Edmond Fong