Switzerland’s voters have rejected the right-wing Swiss People’s Party’s (UDC/SVP) latest attempt to curb immigration, dealing a blow to a campaign that sought to cap the country’s population at 10m by 2050. In a referendum held on Sunday, 54.8% of voters opposed the initiative, while a majority of cantons also rejected it (13 cantons against; 10 in favour). The result marks a significant setback for the party, which had hoped to recreate the success of its 2014 vote against mass immigration.

The proposal, entitled “No Switzerland of 10 Million”, argued that rapid population growth was placing unsustainable pressure on housing, infrastructure and public services. Switzerland’s population has risen sharply over the past two decades, driven largely by immigration from the European Union under freedom-of-movement agreements. The UDC/SVP warned that without stricter controls the country risked overcrowding, strained transport networks and a decline in quality of life.

Yet voters ultimately appeared unconvinced that a rigid demographic ceiling offered a workable solution. Opponents argued that the initiative would damage Switzerland’s economy and jeopardise relations with the European Union, its largest trading partner. Business groups warned that Swiss companies depend heavily on access to skilled foreign labour, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, engineering and finance.

The turnout was unusually high by Swiss standards. Nearly 59% of eligible voters cast ballots, well above the average participation rate of roughly 46% recorded between 2011 and 2019. The strong mobilisation reflected the political salience of immigration and the broader anxieties surrounding population growth. Only a handful of referendums in recent decades have attracted greater participation, notably the 1992 vote on joining the European Economic Area (78.8%).

The results also revealed a familiar divide between urban and rural Switzerland. Large cities overwhelmingly rejected the initiative, in some cases against the preferences of their surrounding cantons. In St Gallen, for example, the city voted decisively against the proposal (No: 68%), even as the canton narrowly supported it (Yes: 53.7%). Similar patterns emerged in Luzern, Bern and Schaffhausen, where urban voters tipped the balance towards rejection while many rural municipalities backed the measure.
In Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton that has long expressed concern over cross-border workers from Italy, the picture was more mixed. Major towns such as Lugano (No: 51.6%) and Locarno (No: 54%) rejected the proposal, while the canton as a whole narrowly endorsed it (Yes: 50.4%). Critics of the initiative had argued that tighter immigration restrictions could paradoxically increase the number of cross-border commuters and create new administrative burdens at Switzerland’s frontiers.

Monika Rühl, head of Economiesuisse, welcomed the result but warned against complacency. She said voters had issued what she described as a “yellow card” to Switzerland’s political and business establishment, reflecting persistent public unease over immigration. Speaking to Swiss public broadcaster RTS, Ms Rühl acknowledged that concerns about migration, asylum policy and pressure on public services could not be ignored. She argued that both federal and cantonal authorities would need to respond more effectively, particularly on asylum management. Businesses, she added, also had a responsibility to make better use of the domestic workforce rather than relying excessively on foreign labour.

For the UDC/SVP, the defeat suggests that while immigration continues to trouble many Swiss voters, alarmist demographic targets may no longer command majority support. Switzerland remains wary of rapid change, but most voters appear reluctant to embrace solutions that risk undermining the country’s economic model.

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Official vote results (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now

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