Swiss Majority Wants to Cap Population at 10 Million, Poll Shows

(Bloomberg) — A proposal to cap Switzerland’s population at 10 million drew support of 52% of respondents in the first such poll showing a majority for the idea.

If voters back the plan in a plebiscite in June, the government would be forced to take measures to reduce immigration, so the number of residents doesn’t surpass the mark before 2050. As of last year, 9.1 million people lived in Switzerland.

The survey shows only 46% oppose the measure and 2% remain undecided, according to results released on Wednesday by newspaper group Tamedia/20 Minuten. Support increased compared with last month.

The data also showed that fewer respondents are undecided or only lean in one of the directions, with firmer backing for either side.

The result suggests calls from the government and business leaders urging voters to reject the measure have failed to quell momentum for an idea which has touched a nerve in a country that has long been sensitive about immigration.

“Already at an early time, the proposal is well known and widely discussed,” pollster LeeWas said, but added that results show volatility and “don’t indicate a clear trend.”

Switzerland will vote on the initiative on June 14. The proposal, backed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, aims to impose the population limit by curbing arrivals, particularly of asylum seekers, amid concerns over housing and stretched infrastructure.

Support remains sharply divided. While almost all People’s Party voters back the idea, left-leaning groups oppose it fiercely. Warning that the plan would severely restrict companies recruiting from abroad, as well as upsetting Switzerland’s relations with the European Union, they have dubbed it the “chaos initiative.”

The Swiss government said that the measure would risk billions of francs in economic output. Heavily dependent on workers from beyond its borders and with average wages that exceed those of peers, the population has been growing for decades. More than a quarter of residents don’t have citizenship — one of the highest such proportions in Europe.

(Updates with Swiss population in second paragraph)

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