The initiative to limit migration and the population was proposed by the right-wing conservative Swiss People's Party, which holds about one-third of the seats in the Federal Assembly, back in 2024.
Despite the government and parliament opposing this proposal, the referendum was automatically initiated after collecting more than 100,000 signatures from citizens.
If the referendum is successful, the government will be required to take measures to reduce the level of immigration by 2050. Currently, Switzerland's population is about nine million people. In particular, if the population exceeds 9.5 million, the authorities will have to tighten the conditions for foreign citizens obtaining permanent residency and revise the agreement on the free movement of people with the European Union, of which Switzerland is not a member.
Proponents of this initiative argue that the current state of overpopulation is already leading to infrastructure overload, deterioration of local identity, and rising housing prices.
Opponents of the referendum warn that its implementation could negatively impact the Swiss economy, complicate the attraction of foreign labor, and worsen relations with the European Union.
According to a survey conducted by two Swiss media groups in December 2025, 48% of citizens support the idea of limiting the population, while 41% oppose it.
