The Folly of Switzerland’s Proposed Population Cap

This June, Swiss voters will head to the polls to vote on a proposal limiting the country’s population — including both Swiss citizens and those with foreign residency papers — to 10 million should it reach that threshold before 2050. Early polls suggest a plurality of voters support the measure. Under the Swiss direct democracy system, the outcome will be binding, and the cap would go into effect.

It would also be a huge mistake for the country, because it would knee-cap its own economic success.