THEODORA PETER AND SUSANNE WENGER Over nine million people now live in Switzerland, three times more than at the beginning of the 20th century. A high birth rate fuelled rapid population growth in the post-war years; high immigration has had the same effect since the turn of the millennium. Since 2002, people from countries in the European Economic Area have been able to take up employment and settle with their families in Switzerland. The principle of free movement of people between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland also allows Swiss to work and settle in the EU. Over 530,000 Swiss Abroad currently live in European countries. Opening up the labour market has led to a significant influx of migrants into Switzerland. Since the start of the 2000s, the Swiss population has grown by two million to its present figure of over nine million. Some 2.4 million people – or around 26 per cent of the total population – now live in Switzerland without a Swiss passport. How much immigration can Switzerland take? Never before have so many people lived in Switzerland. A flourishing economy makes our country a popular destination for immigrants. This brings prosperity, but problems too. Will Switzerland, a small country, soon be too full? Two thirds of this contingent come from European countries, particularly Italy, Germany, Portugal and France. Population of ten million expected by 2040 According to Federal Statistical Office (FSO) forecasts, Switzerland’s resident population is likely to reach ten million by 2040 and 10.5 million by 2055, if immigration continues at current levels. With the number of people retiring set to exceed the number of people entering the workforce in the coming years, fresh labour will be needed to keep the Swiss economy going. Immigration slows demographic ageing, but it cannot stop it completely. The over-65s today account for about 20 per cent of the total population. This proportion will have risen to 25 per cent by 2055. Apart from keeping the economy afloat, migrant workers pay taxes and help to fund the state pension. Yet there is disquiet about the population growing so quickly. Switzerland is overcrowded, say critics. The impact of an expanding population is mainly felt in urban areas, where housing is becoming increasingly scarce (see pages 8 and 9 for more information). Around two thirds of Switzerland’s inhabitants live in the densely populated Central Plateau region between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance, where the roads are gridlocked and the trains, buses and trams full to bursting at rush hour. Politicians are aware of this: the Federal Council plans to invest over 40 billion Swiss francs in the transport network by 2045. SVP initiative to limit Swiss population The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) believes that population growth has gone too far, calling it “uncontrolled”. Its “No to a Switzerland of 10 million” initiative, also known as the sustainability initiative, will be put to voters on 14 June. Specifically, the SVP proposes a constitutional amendment to the effect that Switzerland’s permanent resident population may not exceed ten million before 2050, whereby the government would have to take measures to curb migration once the population reached the 9.5-million threshold – a possible scenario even The impact of a growing population is felt mainly in urban areas, with more and more people commuting between work and home. Pictured above: Lucerne railway station Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 4 Focus
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