'No' camp leads Swiss population cap vote, with 52.90%

Swiss voters appeared on track to reject a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million, according to interim results published by the Federal Council on Sunday, although vote counting is still underway.

With counting in progress, 52.90% of votes cast were against the "No to ten million Switzerland" proposal, while 47.10% supported it.

Voter participation stood at 57.87%.

The initiative, backed by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, seeks to limit Switzerland's permanent resident population to 10 million until 2050.

Preliminary canton-level results showed particularly strong opposition in French-speaking Switzerland, where the rejection exceeded 60% in several cantons, including Geneva, Vaud, Neuchatel, and Jura.

Supporters of the initiative argued that rapid population growth has increased pressure on housing, transportation networks, and public services, and called for stricter limits on immigration.

The Federal Council and parliament had recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that immigration is needed to help address labor shortages and support Switzerland's economy and social security system.

The government has also warned that implementation of the initiative could ultimately require Switzerland to terminate agreements linked to the free movement of persons with the EU, potentially affecting broader bilateral relations.

Switzerland's population currently stands at about 9.1 million.

Final results were expected later on Sunday.