The referendum is initiated by the right-wing conservative Swiss People's Party, which began collecting signatures for a petition to impose restrictions on immigration and population size in 2024. This party holds about a third of the seats in the country's Federal Assembly.
Although both the parliament and the government of Switzerland opposed this initiative, the referendum was automatically triggered after more than 100,000 citizens signed the petition.
If the referendum is successful, Swiss authorities will be required to take measures to limit immigration by 2050. Currently, the country's population is approximately nine million people. In particular, if the population exceeds 9.5 million, stricter conditions for obtaining permanent residency for foreigners will be introduced, and the agreement on the free movement of people with the European Union, of which Switzerland is not a member, will be revised.
Supporters of the referendum argue that overpopulation is already negatively impacting the country's infrastructure, diminishing local identity, and contributing to rising rental prices.
However, opponents of this initiative warn of possible negative consequences for the Swiss economy, complicating the attraction of foreign labor, and worsening relations with the European Union.
According to a survey conducted by two Swiss media groups in December 2025, 48% of citizens support the proposal for a population limit, while 41% oppose this idea.
