global population essay

Understanding Global Change

Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future.

Population growth

Population growth is the increase in the number of humans on Earth. For most of human history our population size was relatively stable. But with innovation and industrialization, energy, food , water , and medical care became more available and reliable. Consequently, global human population rapidly increased, and continues to do so, with dramatic impacts on global climate and ecosystems. We will need technological and social innovation to help us support the world’s population as we adapt to and mitigate climate and environmental changes.

World human population growth from 10,000 BC to 2019 AD. Data from: The United Nations

Human population growth impacts the Earth system in a variety of ways, including:

• Increasing the extraction of resources from the environment. These resources include fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal), minerals, trees , water , and wildlife , especially in the oceans. The process of removing resources, in turn, often releases pollutants and waste that reduce air and water quality , and harm the health of humans and other species.
• Increasing the burning of fossil fuels for energy to generate electricity, and to power transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes.
• Increase in freshwater use for drinking, agriculture , recreation, and industrial processes. Freshwater is extracted from lakes, rivers, the ground, and man-made reservoirs.
• Increasing ecological impacts on environments. Forests and other habitats are disturbed or destroyed to construct urban areas including the construction of homes, businesses, and roads to accommodate growing populations. Additionally, as populations increase, more land is used for agricultural activities to grow crops and support livestock. This, in turn, can decrease species populations , geographic ranges , biodiversity , and alter interactions among organisms.
• Increasing fishing and hunting , which reduces species populations of the exploited species. Fishing and hunting can also indirectly increase numbers of species that are not fished or hunted if more resources become available for the species that remain in the ecosystem.
• Increasing the transport of invasive species , either intentionally or by accident, as people travel and import and export supplies. Urbanization also creates disturbed environments where invasive species often thrive and outcompete native species. For example, many invasive plant species thrive along strips of land next to roads and highways.
• The transmission of diseases . Humans living in densely populated areas can rapidly spread diseases within and among populations. Additionally, because transportation has become easier and more frequent, diseases can spread quickly to new regions.

Can you think of additional cause and effect relationships between human population growth and other parts of the Earth system?

Visit the burning of fossil fuels , agricultural activities , and urbanization pages to learn more about how processes and phenomena related to the size and distribution of human populations affect global climate and ecosystems.

Investigate

Learn more in these real-world examples, and challenge yourself to  construct a model  that explains the Earth system relationships.

• The Ecology of Human Populations: Thomas Malthus
• A Pleistocene Puzzle: Extinction in South America

Links to Learn More

• United Nations World Population Maps
• Scientific American: Does Population Growth Impact Climate Change?

Population Growth

Population growth is one of the most important topics we cover at Our World in Data .

For most of human history, the global population was a tiny fraction of what it is today. Over the last few centuries, the human population has gone through an extraordinary change. In 1800, there were one billion people. Today there are more than 8 billion of us.

But after a period of very fast population growth, demographers expect the world population to peak by the end of this century.

On this page, you will find all of our data, charts, and writing on changes in population growth. This includes how populations are distributed worldwide, how this has changed, and what demographers expect for the future.

Related topics

• Child Mortality
• Fertility Rate
• Life Expectancy
• Age Structure

Key insights on Population Growth

Population cartograms show us where the world’s people are.

Geographical maps show us where the world’s landmasses are; not where people are. That means they don’t always give us an accurate picture of how global living standards are changing.

One way to understand the distribution of people worldwide is to redraw the world map – not based on the area but according to population.

This is shown here as a population cartogram : a geographical presentation of the world where the size of countries is not drawn according to the distribution of land but by the distribution of people. It’s shown for the year 2018.

As the population size rather than the territory is shown in this map, you can see some significant differences when you compare it to the standard geographical map we’re most familiar with. 

Small countries with a high population density increase in size in this cartogram relative to the world maps we are used to – look at Bangladesh, Taiwan, or the Netherlands. Large countries with a small population shrink in size – look for Canada, Mongolia, Australia, or Russia.

You can find more details on this cartogram in our article about it:

What you should know about this data

• This map is based on the United Nation’s 2017 World Population Prospects report. Our interactive charts show population data from the most recent UN revision. This means there may be minor differences between the figures shown on the map and the latest estimates in our other charts.

The world population has increased rapidly over the last few centuries

The speed of global population growth over the last few centuries has been staggering. For most of human history, the world population was well under one million. 1

As recently as 12,000 years ago, there were only 4 million people worldwide.

The chart shows the rapid increase in the global population since 1700. 

The one-billion mark wasn’t broken until the early 1800s. It was only a century ago that there were 2 billion people.

Since then, the global population has quadrupled to eight billion.

Around 108 billion people have ever lived on our planet. This means that today’s population size makes up 6.5% of the total number of people ever born. 2

This increase has been the result of advances in living conditions and health that reduced death rates – especially in children – and increases in life expectancy.

• This data comes from a combination of sources, all detailed in our sources article for our long-term population dataset.

Population growth is no longer exponential – it peaked decades ago

There’s a popular misconception that the global population is growing exponentially. But it’s not.

While the global population is still increasing in absolute numbers, population growth peaked decades ago.

In the chart, we see the global population growth rate per year. This is based on historical UN estimates and its medium projection to 2100.

Global population growth peaked in the 1960s at over 2% per year. Since then, rates have more than halved, falling to less than 1%. 

The UN expects rates to continue to fall until the end of the century. In fact, towards the end of the century, it projects negative growth, meaning the global population will shrink instead of grow.

Global population growth, in absolute terms – which is the number of births minus the number of deaths – has also peaked. You can see this in our interactive chart:

The world has passed “peak child”

Hans Rosling famously coined the term “ peak child ” for the moment in global demographic history when the number of children stopped increasing.

According to the UN data, the world has passed “peak child”, which is defined as the number of children under the age of five.

The chart shows the UN’s historical estimates and projections of the number of children under five.

It estimates that the number of children in the world peaked in 2017. For the coming decades, demographers expect a decades-long plateau before the number will decline more rapidly in the second half of the century.

• These projections are sensitive to the assumptions made about future fertility rates worldwide. Find out more from the UN World Population Division .
• Other sources and scenarios in the UN’s projections suggest that the peak was reached slightly earlier or later. However, most indicate that the world is close to “peak child” and the number of children will not increase in the coming decades.
• The ‘ups and downs’ in this chart reflect generational effects and ‘baby booms’ when there are large cohorts of women of reproductive age, and high fertility rates. The timing of these transitions varies across the world.

The UN expects the global population to peak by the end of the century

When will population growth come to an end?

The UN’s historical estimates and latest projections for the global population are shown in the chart.

The UN projects that the global population will peak before the end of the century – in 2086, at just over 10.4 billion people.

• These projections are sensitive to the assumptions made about future fertility and mortality rates worldwide. Find out more from the UN World Population Division .
• Other sources and scenarios in the UN’s projections can produce a slightly earlier or later peak. Most demographers, however, expect that by the end of the century, the global population will have peaked or slowed so much that population growth will be small.

Explore data on Population Growth

Research & writing.

What would the work look like if each country’s area was in proportion to its population?

The world population has increased rapidly in recent centuries. But this is slowing.

Max Roser and Hannah Ritchie

More Key articles on Population Growth

How many people die and how many are born each year.

Hannah Ritchie and Edouard Mathieu

Five key findings from the 2022 UN Population Prospects

Hannah Ritchie, Edouard Mathieu and Lucas Rodés-Guirao

Which countries are most densely populated?

Demographic change.

Hannah Ritchie

Definitions and sources

Edouard Mathieu and Lucas Rodés-Guirao

Other articles related to population growth

Interactive charts on Population Growth

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• v.5(4); 2013

The world population explosion: causes, backgrounds and projections for the future

J. van bavel.

Centre for Sociological Research / Family & Population Studies (FaPOS), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Leuven, Parkstraat 45 bus 3601, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the total world population crossed the threshold of 1 billion people for the first time in the history of the homo sapiens sapiens. Since then, growth rates have been increasing exponentially, reaching staggeringly high peaks in the 20th century and slowing down a bit thereafter. Total world population reached 7 billion just after 2010 and is expected to count 9 billion by 2045. This paper first charts the differences in population growth between the world regions. Next, the mechanisms behind unprecedented population growth are explained and plausible scenarios for future developments are discussed. Crucial for the long term trend will be the rate of decline of the number of births per woman, called total fertility. Improvements in education, reproductive health and child survival will be needed to speed up the decline of total fertility, particularly in Africa. But in all scenarios, world population will continue to grow for some time due to population momentum. Finally, the paper outlines the debate about the consequences of the population explosion, involving poverty and food security, the impact on the natural environment, and migration flows.

Key words: Fertility, family planning, world population, population growth, demographic transition, urbanization, population momentum, population projections.

Introduction

In the year 1900, Belgium and the Philippines had more or less the same population, around 7 million people. By the year 2000, the population of the Western European monarchy had grown to 10 million citizens, while the South East Asian republic at the turn of the century already counted 76 million citizens. The population of Belgium has since then exceeded 11 million citizens, but it is unlikely that this number will rise to 12 million by the year 2050. The population of the Philippines on the other hand will continue to grow to a staggering 127 million citizens by 2050, according to the demographic projections of the United Nations (UN 2013).

The demographic growth rate of the Philippines around the turn of the century (2% a year) has already created enormous challenges and is clearly unsustainable in the long term: such growth implies a doubling of the population every 35 years as a consequence of which there would be 152 million people by 2035, 304 million by 2070, and so on. Nobody expects such a growth to actually occur. This contribution will discuss the more realistic scenarios for the future.

Even the rather modest Belgian demographic growth rate around the turn of this century (0.46%) is not sustainable in the long term. In any case, it exceeds by far the average growth rate of the human species (homo sapiens sapiens) that arose in Africa some 200.000 years ago. Today, earth is inhabited by some 7 billion people. To achieve this number in 200.000 years, the average yearly growth rate over this term should have been around 0.011% annually (so 11 extra human beings per 1.000 human beings already living on earth). The current Belgian growth rate would imply that our country would have grown to 7 billion in less than 1500 years.

The point of this story is that the current growth numbers are historically very exceptional and untenable in the long term. The demographic growth rates are indeed on the decline worldwide and this paper will attempt to explain some of the mechanisms behind that process. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that the growth remains extraordinarily high and the decline in some regions very slow. This is especially the case in Sub Saharan Africa. In absolute numbers, the world population will continue to grow anyway for quite some time as a result of demographic inertia. This too will be further clarified in this paper.

The evolution of the world population in numbers

In order to be sustainable, the long term growth rate of the population should not differ much from 0%. That is because a growth rate exceeding 0% has exponential implications. In simple terms: if a combination of birth and growth figures only appears to cause a modest population growth initially, then this seems to imply an explosive growth in the longer term.

Thomas R. Malthus already acquired this point of view by the end of the 18th century. In his famous “Essay on the Principle of Population” (first edition in 1789), Malthus argues justly that in time the growth of the population will inevitably slow down, either by an increase of the death rate or by a decrease of the birth rate. On a local scale, migration also plays an important role.

It is no coincidence that Malthus’ essay appeared in England at the end of the 18th century. After all, the population there had started to grow at a historically unseen rate. More specifically the proletariat had grown immensely and that worried the intellectuals and the elite. Year after year, new demographic growth records were recorded.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the number of 1 billion people was exceeded for the first time in history. Subsequently growth accelerated and the number of 2 billion people was already surpassed around 1920. By 1960, another billion had been added, in 40 instead of 120 years time. And it continued to go even faster: 4 billion by 1974, 5 billion by 1987, 6 billion by 1999 and 7 billion in 2011 ( Fig. 1 ).

This will certainly not stop at the current 7 billion. According to the most recent projections by the United Nations, the number of 8 billion will probably be exceeded by 2025, and around 2045 there will be more than 9 billion people 1 . The further one looks into the future, the more uncertain these figures become, and with demography on a world scale one must always take into account a margin of error of a couple of tens of millions. But according to all plausible scenarios, the number of 9 billion will be exceeded by 2050.

Demographic growth was and is not equally distributed around the globe. The population explosion first occurred on a small scale and with a relatively moderate intensity in Europe and America, more or less between 1750 and 1950. From 1950 on, a much more substantial and intensive population explosion started to take place in Asia, Latin America and Africa ( Fig. 2 ). Asia already represented over 55% of the world population in 1950 with its 1.4 billion citizens and by the year 2010 this had increased to 4.2 billion people or 60%. Of those people, more than 1.3 billion live in China and 1.2 billion in India, together accounting for more than one third of the world population.

In the future, the proportion of Asia will come down and that of Africa will increase. Africa was populated by some 230 million people around 1950, or 9% of the world population. In 2010 there were already more than 1 billion Africans or 15% of the world population. According to UN projections, Africa will continue to grow at a spectacular rate up to 2.2 billion inhabitants in 2050 or 24% of the world population. The proportion of Europe, on the other hand, is evolving in the opposite direction: from 22% of the world population in 1950, over 11% in 2010 to an expected mere 8% in 2050. The population of Latin America has grown and is growing rapidly in absolute terms, but because of the strong growth in Asia and especially Africa, the relative proportion of the Latin American population is hardly increasing (at most from 6 to 8%). The proportion of the population in North America, finally, has decreased slightly from 7 to 5% of the world population.

What these figures mainly come down to in practice is that the population size in especially the poor countries is increasing at an unprecedented rate. At the moment, more than 5.7 billion people, or more than 80% of humanity, are living in what the UN categorise as a developing country. By 2050, that number would – according to the projections – have increased to 8 billion people or 86% of the world population. Within this group of developing countries, the group of least developed countries, the poorest countries so to speak, is growing strongly: from 830 million now, up to an expected 1.7 billion in 2050. This comprises very poor countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Liberia, Niger or Togo in Africa; Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Myanmar in Asia; and Haiti in the Caribbean.

The growth of the world population goes hand in hand with global urbanisation: while around the year 1950 less than 30% of people lived in the cities, this proportion has increased to more than 50%. It is expected that this proportion will continue to grow to two thirds around 2050. Latin America is the most urbanised continent (84%), closely followed by North America (82%) and at a distance by Europe (73%). The population density has increased intensely especially in the poorest countries: from 9 people per square km in 1950 to 40 people per square km in 2010 (an increase by 330%) in the poorest countries, while this figure in the rich countries increased from 15 to 23 people per square km (a 50% growth). In Belgium, population density is 358 people per square km and in the Netherlands 400 people per square km; in Rwanda this number is 411, in the Palestinian regions 666 and in Bangladesh an astonishing 1050.

Although the world population will continue to grow in absolute figures for some time – a following paragraph will explain why – the growth rate in percentages in all large world regions is decreasing. In the richer countries, the yearly growth rate has already declined to below 0.3%. On a global scale, the yearly growth rate of more than 2% at the peak around 1965 decreased to around 1% now. A further decline to less than 0.5% by 2050 is expected. In the world’s poorest countries, the demographic growth is still largest: at present around 2.2%. For these countries, a considerable decrease is expected, but the projected growth rate would not fall below 1.5% before 2050. This means, as mentioned above, a massive growth of the population in absolute figures in the world’s poorest countries.

Causes of the explosion: the demographic transition

The cause of, first, the acceleration and, then, the deceleration in population growth is the modern demographic transition: an increasingly growing group of countries has experienced a transition from relatively high to low birth and death rates, or is still in the process of experiencing this. It is this transition that is causing the modern population explosion. Figure 3 is a schematic and strongly simplified representation of the modern demographic transition.

In Europe, the modern demographic transition started to take place in the middle of the 18th century. Until then, years of extremely high death rates were quite frequent. Extremely high crisis mortality could be the consequence of epidemic diseases or failed harvests and famine, or a combination of both. As a consequence of better hygiene and a better transportation infrastructure (for one, the canals and roads constructed by Austria in the 18th century), amongst other reasons, crisis mortality became less and less frequent. Later on in the 19th century, child survival began to improve. Vaccination against smallpox for example led to an eradication of the disease, with the last European smallpox pandemic dating from 1871. This way, not only the years of crisis mortality became less frequent, but also the average death rate decreased, from an average 30 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in the beginning of the 19th century to around 15 deaths per 1000 citizens by the beginning of the 20th century. In the meantime, the birth rate however stayed at its previous, high level of 30-35 births per 1000 inhabitants.

The death rate went down but the birth rate still didn’t: this caused a large growth in population. It was only near the end of the nineteenth century (a bit earlier in some countries, later in others) that married couples in large numbers started to reduce their number of children. By the middle of the 20th century, the middle class ideal of a two children household had gained enormous popularity and influence. The reaction by the Church, for example in the encyclical Humanae Vitae (1968), came much too late to bring this evolution to a halt.

As a consequence of widespread family planning – made even easier in the sixties by modern hormonal contraceptives – the birth rate started declining as well and the population tended back towards zero growth. Nowadays the end of this transition process has been more than achieved in all European countries, because the fertility has been below replacement level for several decades (the replacement level is the fertility level that would in the long term lead to a birth rate identical to the death rate, if there would be no migration) 2 .

That the population explosion in the developing countries since the second half of the 20th century was so much more intense and massive, is a consequence of the fact that in those countries, the process of demographic transition occurred to a much more extreme extent and on a much larger scale. On the one hand, mortality decreased faster than in Europe. After all, in Europe the decline in mortality was the result of a gradual understanding of the importance of hygiene and afterwards the development of new medical insights. These insights of course already existed at the start of the demographic transitions in Asian, Latin American and African regions, whereby the life expectancy in these regions could grow faster. On the other hand, the total fertility – the average number of children per woman – at the start of the transition was a lot higher in many poor regions than it initially was in Europe. For South Korea, Brasil and the Congo, for example, the total fertility rate shortly after the Second World War (at the start of their demographic transition) is estimated to be 6 children per woman. In Belgium this number was close to 4.5 children per woman by the middle of the nineteenth century. In some developing regions, the fertility and birth rate decreased moderately to very fast, but in other regions this decline took off at an exceptionally sluggish pace – this will be further explained later on. As a consequence of these combinations of factors, in most of these countries the population explosion was much larger than it had been in most European countries.

Scenarios for the future

Nonetheless, the process of demographic transition has reached its second phase in almost all countries in the world, namely the phase of declining fertility and birth rates. In a lot of Asian and Latin American countries, the entire transition has taken place and the fertility level is around or below the replacement level. South Korea for example is currently at 1.2 children per woman and is one of the countries with the lowest fertility levels in the world. In Iran and Brasil the fertility level is currently more or less equal to Belgium’s, that is 1.8 to 1.9 children per woman.

Crucial to the future evolution of the population is the further evolution of the birth rate. Scenarios for the future evolution of the size and age of the population differ according to the hypotheses concerning the further evolution of the birth rate. The evolution of the birth rate is in turn dependent on two things: the further evolution of the total fertility rate (the average number of children per woman) in the first place and population momentum in the second. The latter is a concept I will later on discuss in more detail. The role of the population momentum is usually overlooked in the popular debates, but is of utmost importance in understanding the further evolution of the world population. Population momentum is the reason why we are as good as certain that the world population will continue to grow for a while. The other factor, the evolution of the fertility rate, is much more uncertain but of critical importance in the long term. The rate at which the further growth of the world population can be slowed down is primarily dependent on the extent to which the fertility rates will continue to decline. I will further elaborate on this notion in the next paragraph. After that, I will clarify the notion of population momentum.

Declining fertility

Fertility is going down everywhere in the world, but it’s going down particularly slowly in Africa. A further decline remains uncertain there. Figure 4 shows the evolution per world region between 1950 and 2010, plus the projected evolution until 2050. The numbers before 2010 illustrate three things. First of all, on all continents there is a decline going on. Secondly, this decline is not equal everywhere. And thirdly: the differences between the continents remain large in some cases. Asia and Latin America have seen a similar decline in fertility: from 5.9 children per woman in 1950 to 2.5 at the start of the 21st century. Europe and North America had already gone through the largest part of their demographic transition by the 1950’s. Their fertility level has been below replacement levels for years. Africa has indeed seen a global decrease of fertility, but the average number of children is still at an alarmingly high level: the fertility merely decreased from 6.7 to 5.1 children per woman.

These continental averages hide a huge underlying diversity in fertility paths. Figure 5 attempts to illustrate this for a number of countries. Firstly let us consider two African countries: the Congo and Niger. As was often the case in Europe in the 19th century, fertility was first on the rise before it started declining. In the Congo this decrease was more extensive, from around 6 children in 1980 to 4 children per woman today, and a further decline to just below three is expected in the next thirty years. Niger is the country where the fertility level remains highest: from 7 it first rose to an average of just below 8 children per woman in the middle of the 1980’s, before decreasing to just above 6.5 today. For the next decades a decline to 4 children per woman is expected. But that is not at all certain: it is dependent on circumstances that will be further explained in a moment. The demographic transition is after all not a law of nature but the result of human actions and human institutions.

Around 1950, Pakistan and Iran had more or less the same fertility level as Niger, but both countries have seen a considerable decline in the meantime. In Pakistan the level decreased slowly to the current level of 3 children per woman. In Iran the fertility decreased more abruptly, faster and deeper to below the replacement level – Iran today has one of the lowest fertility levels in the world, and a further decline is expected. The Iranian Revolution of 1978 played a crucial role in the history of Iran (Abassi-Shavazi et al., 2009): it brought better education and health care, two essential ingredients for birth control.

Brasil was also one of the countries with very high fertility in the 1950’s – higher than the Congo, for example. The decrease started earlier than in Iran but happened more gradually. Today both countries have the same total fertility, below the replacement level.

Child mortality, education and family planning

Which factors cause the average number of children to go down? The literature concerning explanations for the decrease in fertility is vast and complex, but two factors emerge as crucial in this process: education and child survival.

Considering child survival first: countries combining intensive birth control with very high child mortality are simply non-existent. The statistical association between the level of child mortality and fertility is very tight and strong: in countries with high child mortality, fertility is high, and vice versa. This statistical correlation is very strong because the causal relation goes in both directions; with quick succession of children and therefore a lot of children to take care for, the chances of survival for the infants are lower than in those families with only a limited number of children to take care of – this is a fortiori the case where infrastructure for health care is lacking. A high fertility level thus contributes to a high child mortality. And in the other direction: where survival chances of children improve, the fertility will go down because even those households with a lower number of children have increasing confidence in having descendants in the long term.

It is crucial to understand that the decline in child mortality in the demographic transition always precedes the decline in fertility. Men, women and families cannot be convinced of the benefits of birth control if they don’t have confidence in the survival chances of their children. Better health care is therefore essential, and a lack of good health care is one of the reasons for a persistently high fertility in a country like Niger.

Education is another factor that can cause a decline in fertility. This is probably the most important factor, not just because education is an important humanitarian goal in itself (apart from the demographic effects), but also because with education one can kill two birds with one stone: education causes more birth control but also better child survival (recently clearly demonstrated by Smith-Greenaway (2013), which in its turn will lead to better birth control. The statistical correlation between level of education and level of fertility is therefore very strong.

Firstly, education enhances the motivation for birth control: if parents invest in the education of their children, they will have fewer children, as has been demonstrated. Secondly, education promotes a more forward-looking lifestyle: it will lead people to think on a somewhat longer term, to think about tomorrow, next week and next month, instead of living for the day. This attitude is necessary for effective birth control. Thirdly, education also increases the potential for effective contraception, because birth control doesn’t just happen, especially not when efficient family planning facilities are not or hardly accessible or when there are opposing cultural or family values.

The influence of education on birth control has been demonstrated in a vast number of studies (James et al., 2012). It starts with primary education, but an even larger effect can be attained by investment in secondary education (Cohen, 2008). In a country like Niger, for example, women who didn’t finish primary school have on average 7.8 children. Women who did finish primary school have on average 6.7 children, while women who finished secondary school “only” have 4.6 children ( Fig. 6 ). The fertility of Niger would be a lot lower if more women could benefit from education. The tragedy of that country is that too many people fall in the category of those without a degree of primary school, with all its demographic consequences.

One achieves with education therefore a plural beneficial demographic effect on top of the important objective of human emancipation in itself. All this is of course not always true but depends on which form of “education”; I assume that we’re talking about education that teaches people the knowledge and skills to better take control of their own destiny.

It is one thing to get people motivated to practice birth control but obtaining actual effective contraception is quite another matter. Information concerning the efficient use of contraceptives and increasing the accessibility and affordability of contraceptives can therefore play an important role. There are an estimated 215 million women who would want to have contraception but don’t have the means (UNFPA, 2011). Investments in services to help with family planning are absolutely necessary and could already have great results in this group of women. But it’s no use to put the cart before the horse: if there is no intention to practice birth control, propaganda for and accessibility of contraception will hardly have any effect, as was demonstrated in the past. In Europe the lion’s share of the decline in fertility was realized with traditional methods, before the introduction of hormonal contraception in the sixties. There is often a problem of lack of motivation for birth control on the one hand, as a result of high child mortality and low schooling rates, and a lack of power in women who may be motivated to limit fertility but are confronted with male resistance on the other (Blanc, 2011; Do and Kurimoto, 2012). Empowerment of women is therefore essential, and education can play an important role in that process as well.

Population momentum

Even if all the people would suddenly practice birth control much more than is currently considered possible, the world population would still continue to grow for a while. This is the consequence of population momentum, a notion that refers to the phenomenon of demographic inertia, comparable to the phenomenon of momentum and inertia in the field of physics. Demographic growth is like a moving train: even when you turn off the engine, the movement will continue for a little while.

The power and direction of population momentum is dependent on the age structure of the population. Compare the population pyramids of Egypt and Germany ( Fig. 7 ). The one for Egypt has a pyramidal shape indeed, but the one for Germany looks more like an onion. As a consequence of high birth rates in the previous decades, the largest groups of Egyptians are to be found below the age of forty; the younger, the more voluminous the generation. Even if the current and future generations of Egyptians would limit their fertility strongly (as is indeed the case), the birth rate in Egypt would still continue to rise for quite some time, just because year after year more and more potential mothers and fathers reach the fertile ages. Egypt therefore clearly has a growth momentum.

Germany on the other hand has a negative or shrinking momentum: even if the younger generations of Germans would have a larger num ber of children than the generation of their own parents, the birth rate in Germany would still continue to decrease because fewer and fewer potential mothers and fathers reach the fertile ages.

The population momentum on a global scale is positive: even if fertility would decrease overnight to the replacement level, the world population would continue to grow with 40% (from 7 billion to 9.8 billion). Only the rich countries have a shrinking momentum, that is -3%. For Europe the momentum is -7%. The population momentum for the poorest countries in the world is +44%, that of Sub Saharan Africa +46% (Espenshade et al., 2011).

Consequences of the population explosion

The concerns about the consequences of population explosion started in the sixties. Milestone publications were the 1968 book The Population bomb by biologist Paul Ehrlich, the report of the Club of Rome from 1972 (The Limits to Growth) and the first World Population Plan of Action of the UN in 1974 among others.

In the world population debate, the general concerns involve mainly three interconnected consequences of the population explosion: 1) the growing poverty in the world and famine; 2) the exhaustion and pollution of natural resources essential to human survival; and 3) the migration pressure from the poor South to the rich North (Van Bavel, 2004).

Poverty and famine

The Malthusian line of thought continues to leave an important mark on the debate regarding the association between population growth and poverty: Malthus saw an excessive population growth as an important cause of poverty and famine. Rightfully this Malthusian vision has been criticized a lot. One must after all take the reverse causal relation into account as well: poverty and the related social circumstances (like a lack of education and good health care for children) contribute to high population growth as well.

Concerning famine: the production of food has grown faster since 1960 than the world population has, so nowadays the amount of food produced per person exceeds that which existed before the population explosion (Lam, 2011). The problem of famine isn’t as much an insufficient food production as it is a lack of fair distribution (and a lack of sustainable production, but that’s another issue). Often regions with famine have ecological conditions permitting sufficient production of food, provided the necessary investments in human resources and technology are made. The most important cause of famine is therefore not the population explosion. Famine is primarily a consequence of unequal distribution of food, which in turn is caused by social-economic inequality, lack of democracy and (civil) war.

Poverty and famine usually have mainly political and institutional causes, not demographic ones. The Malthusian vision, that sees the population explosion as the root of all evil, therefore has to be corrected ( Fig. 8 ). Rapid population growth can indeed hinder economical development and can thus pave the way for poverty. But this is only part of the story. As mentioned, poverty is also an underlying cause of rapid population growth. Social factors are at the base of both poverty and population growth. It’s those social factors that require our intervention: via investments in education and (reproductive) health care.

Impact on the environment

The impact of the population explosion on the environment is unquestionably high, but the size of the population represents only one aspect of this. In this regard it can be useful to keep in mind the simple I=PAT scheme: the ecological footprint or impact on the environment (I) can be regarded as the product of the size of the population (P), the prosperity or consumption level (A for affluence) and the technology used (T). The relationship between each of these factors is more complex than the I=PAT scheme suggests, but in any case the footprint I of a population of 1000 people is for example dependent on how many of those people drive a car instead of a bike, and of the emission per car of the vehicle fleet concerned.

The ecological footprint of the world population has increased tremendously the past decades and the growth of the world population has obviously played an important role in this. The other factors in the I=PAT scheme have however played a relatively bigger role than the demographic factor P. The considerable increase in the Chinese ecological footprint of the past decades for example, is more a consequence of the increased consumption of meat than of population growth (Peters et al., 2007; Liu et al., 2008). The carbon dioxide emission of China grew by 82% between 1990 and 2003, while the population only increased by 11% in that same period. A similar story exists for India: the population grew by less than 23% between 1990 and 2003, while the emission of carbon dioxide increased by more than 83% (Chakravarty et al., 2009). The consumption of water and meat in the world is increasing more rapidly than the population 3 . The consumption of water per person is for example threefold higher in the US than in China (Hoekstra and Chapagain, 2007). The African continent has at present the same number of inhabitants as Europe and North America together, over 1 billion. But the total ecological footprint of Europeans and Americans is many times higher than that of Africans (Ewing et al., 2010). Less than 18% of the world population is responsible for over 50% of the global carbon dioxide emission (Chakravarty et al., 2009).

If we are therefore concerned about the impact of the world population on the environment, we can do something about it immediately by tackling our own overconsumption: it’s something we can control and it has an immediate effect. In contrast, we know of the population growth that it will continue for some time anyhow, even if people in poor countries would practice much more birth control than we consider possible at present.

The population explosion has created an increasing migration pressure from the South to the North – and there is also important migration within and between countries in the South. But here as well the message is: the main responsibility doesn’t lie with the population growth but with economic inequality. The primary motive for migration was and is economic disparity: people migrate from regions with no or badly paid labour and a low standard of living to other regions, where one hopes to find work and a higher standard of living (Massey et al., 1993; Hooghe et al., 2008; IMO, 2013). Given the permanent population growth and economical inequality, a further increasing migration pressure is to be expected, irrespective of the national policies adopted.

It is sometimes expected that economic growth and increasing incomes in the South will slow down the migration pressure, but that remains to be seen. After all, it isn’t usually the poorest citizens in developing countries that migrate to rich countries. It is rather the affluent middle class in poor countries that have the means to send their sons and daughters to the North – an investment that can raise a lot of money via remittances to the families in the country of origin (IMO, 2013). There is after all a considerable cost attached to migration, in terms of money and human capital. Not everyone can bear those costs: to migrate you need brains, guts and money. With growing economic development in poor countries, an initial increase in migration pressure from those countries would be expected; the association between social-economic development and emigration is not linearly negative but follows the shape of a J turned upside down: more emigration at the start of economic development and a decline in emigration only with further development (De Haas, 2007).

7 Billion and counting… What is to be done?

A world population that needed some millennia before reaching the number of 1 billion people, but then added some billions more after 1920 in less than a century: the social, cultural, economic and ecological consequences of such an evolution are so complex that they can lead to fear and indifference at the same time. What kind of constructive reaction is possible and productive in view of such an enormous issue?

First of all: we need to invest in education and health care in Africa and elsewhere, not just as a humanitarian target per se but also because it will encourage the spread of birth control. Secondly, we need to encourage and support the empowerment of women, not just via education but also via services for reproductive health. This has triple desirable results for demographics: it will lead to more and more effective birth control, which in itself has a positive effect on the survival of children, which in turn again facilitates birth control.

Thirdly: because of the positive population momentum, the world population will certainly continue to grow in absolute figures, even though the yearly growth rate in percentages is already on the decline for several years. The biggest contribution we could make therefore, with an immediate favourable impact for ourselves and the rest of the world, is to change our consumption pattern and deal with the structural overconsumption of the world’s richest countries.

(1) Unless otherwise specified, all figures in this paragraph are based on the United Nations World Population Prospects, the 2012 Revision, http://esa.un.org/wpp/ . Concerning projections for the future, I reported the results of the Medium Variant. Apart from this variant, there are also high and low variants (those relying on scenarios implying respectively an extremely high and extremely low growth of the population) and a variant in which the fertility rates are fixed at the current levels. It is expected that the actual number will be somewhere between the highest and lowest variant and will be closest to the medium variant. That’s why I only report this latter value.

(2) In demography, the term «fertility» refers to the actual number of live births per women. By contrast, the term fecundity refers to reproductive capacity (irrespective of actual childbearing), see Habbema et al. (2004).

(3) See http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/water-cooperation/facts-and-figures

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373 Population Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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• The Aging Population Impacts on labour Impacts on healthcare Impacts on government spending The increase in the proportion of the people who are old leads to a decrease of the number of people who are within the working […]
• Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Factors on a Deer’s Population The biotic factors affecting the deer’s population include human conservation measures, building a highway, the influx of cougars, diseases, and deforestation, while the abiotic factors are temperature, water, rocks, soils, acidity, and humidity.
• The Cause and Effect of the Growing Population The paper examines the causes and effects of population growth in human beings. On the other hand, building manufacturing industries change the ecosystem of a given place, in addition to air and water pollution.
• Current and Future Population Problems in Pakistan This paper investigates the population problem in Pakistan by suggesting the possible reasons for the current population trends, the effects they have on the country, possible solutions to the prevailing population problems and future predictions […]
• Human Population and the Environment The fertility rate of a given species will depend on the life history characteristics of the species such as the number of reproductive periods in the lifetime of the species and the number of offspring […]
• Food Security and Growing Population Thus, nations have to address the problem of feeding the increasing global population amid the challenges of the production of adequate food.
• Factors Governing Population Distribution in Canada The area covered by Canada is the largest country in the world after Russia and has the largest coastline. The Shield and the Rocky Mountains in the North have discouraged settlement in the area because […]
• The Middle-Class Population in Colombia Reviewing the size of the middle-class in Colombia is essential because the data can be used to estimate the financial and business prospects in the country.
• The Decline in Shark Population in Trinidad and Tobago To understand the causes of the declining shark population in the selected country, this investigation relied on the use of a qualitative research design guided by the interpretivism model.
• Population Growth in Bangladesh and Egypt According to the official statement of the Bangladeshi authorities, the population growth rates have been reduced significantly after the introduction of the pro-choice opportunities and the promotion of family planning as the foundation for childbirth-related […]
• Relationship Between Population and the Environment The results revealed after the statistical analysis was performed that there is a negative relationship between the population increase and the emissions of carbon dioxide in the case of developed countries while on the other […]
• Relationship Between Population and Economic Growth Consequently, Solow argues that the rate of population growth will be equal to the rate of economic growth in steady states.
• Health Science and Its Importance for Population In conclusion, it should be said that the field of work of a specialist in Health Science is extremely diverse and requires constant updating of knowledge.
• Population Focused Interventions in Sentinel Town The majority of the people mainly abuse the two substances in the rural community. The people in Sentinel town are experiencing a high rate of obesity in the community.
• Population Dynamics and Increase Reasons However, if the death rate is minimal, meaning that the life expectancy of a particular population is high then, the population will increase. The first way of slowing population growth is by controlling the rate […]
• Population Growth in Qatar The increment is attributed to an increase in the state’s population and an increased number of people using the infertility clinics’ services.
• The Market Group of the Baby Boomer Population Such marketers have been producing a wide range of products in order to fulfill the demands of this generation. The above services and products, therefore, seek to fulfill the needs of this population.
• Problems of Population Growth in China The country’s rapidly growing economy and its demographics are a proof that China will be in the global spotlight for years.
• The Rapid Population Growth Causes and Effect A significant note to be taken concerning overpopulation is that it does not just refer to the density of the population, but it is a comparison of the density as a ratio of resources.
• Mental Health and Wellness in Aging Population This research proposal will examine the aspects of wellness with regards to the dimensions of mental health and among the aged.
• Comparing the Population Growth of India and the United States In essence, the paper seeks to find out the effects of population growth in relation to human health through the comparison of population growth between the two countries.
• Healthcare in Saudi Arabia and the High Population Growth Rate Considering the fact that the dynamics of attaining organizational success have changed from financial capital to labor, the success of the KSA healthcare sector in providing services will depend on the expertise, knowledge, and level […]
• Population Growth and Its Impacts on the Environment High population growth is destructive to the society and the environment. In the US and Germany, the rate of population growth is estimated to be 0.
• Population Health Disparities and Healthcare Access Through the case study scenario established, this paper aims to discuss the variables affecting healthcare access, approaches to reduce healthcare disparities, and interventions to enhance access to healthcare among the global population.
• Research Sampling, Target Population, and Surveys The characteristic feature of the nonprobability sampling is that this type of research sampling does not include a random collection of data, in contrast to the probability sampling.
• Nursing Care for Elderly Population As experts in the field, it is crucial to be aware of potential ethical dilemmas when working with the aging population.
• African-Americans as US Vulnerable Population They are designated vulnerable since they cannot protect themselves from others and lack the proper platform to air their grievances and problems. African-Americans cannot advocate for themselves since they lack proper government representation and a […]
• Insurance Barriers in Mental Health Population With the help of the Affordable Care Act, access to mental health care among people with low income and from ethnic and racial minorities was improved significantly.
• Election Campaign Promises and Population Benefits While it may be true that political and economic realities often hinder such promises from being carried out, it is rather interesting to realize that a vast majority of people that have been elected into […]
• Elderly Population Loneliness Problem Hypothesis: There is a positive outcome in engaging the elderly in social activities and alleviation of loneliness among the elderly population.
• Population Density in General It helps in monitoring and evaluation of population and social trends within society. Population growth will manifest in various cultural and social aspects that determine existence and propagation of population trends.
• The Negative Effects of the Rapid Increase in Human Population in the World To begin with, increase in human population has negatively affected natural resources in various parts of the world. The rapid increase in human population has led to increased industrial production in nearly all countries.
• Causes of Technological and Economic Growth by Ester Boserup in Population and Technology and by Lewis Mumford in The Myth of Machine: Technics and Human Development The author claims that the period and timeframe necessary for realisation of some knowledge and its application in life can be predicted with the help of analysis of population density, population growth, and the growth […]
• The Aging Population’s Retirement Security There is a continuous increase in the aging population number, without any retirement security hence a need for a collective effort to ensure stability and dignity for the elderly population in the future.
• Global Issues: Addressing an Aging Population An important issue that is currently facing the world community is aging due to the increasing number of older people. Migration leaves the countries in which people are moving with a significant number of older […]
• The Impact of Criminal Organizations on the Population in the South of Italy In addition, aspects of the history of the emergence of the mafia and the factors that led it to the current state of affairs are touched upon.
• Breast Cancer and Its Population Burden The other objectives that are central to this paper are highlighted below: To determine which group is at a high risk of breast cancer To elucidate the impact of breast cancer on elderly women and […]
• Population Ecology: Jumping Ships for Survival The purpose of the present work was to examine population patterns for a dummy population and data on the deaths of 80 individuals.
• Positive Psychology Intervention for Ageing Population This study aims to promote the integration of negative emotions in Positive Psychology Intervention to achieve a holistic approach. The study will also highlight the importance of exploring negative emotions in positive psychology to promote […]
• Discrimination Against the Elderly Population in the Medical Field The first week I was preoccupied, being my first time interacting with the older patients and also the fact that it was my first week and I was just getting used to the environment.
• Psychoeducation Group for Trauma in the Native American Population To summarize, in terms of the population’s fundamental demographics, it can be stated that Native Americans constitute a disadvantaged group due to the ongoing issues with their social, political, and health.
• Preventing Obesity Among the Hispanic Population The first factor within the dimension of relationships and expectations is associated with the perception of health-related values, beliefs, and attitudes that create a basis for an individual to engage in healthy behaviors.
• Urinary Tract Infection in Geriatric Population UTI is a prevalent condition that influences the social, emotional, physical, and economic well-being of the older population in the United States, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Population’s Impact on Migration In addition, Feng et al.claim that the concept of one-child households is a strategy for lowering the birth rate. In “Let the People Go: The Problem with Strict Migration Limits,” Michael and Justin explain that […]
• Homeless as At-Risk Population Based on the statistics from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 580466 people were “experiencing homelessness on our streets and in shelters in America” as of 2020.
• Exposure Therapy for Adult Population However, one of the most relevant and important treatments for social anxiety for adult people is exposure therapy. To conclude, social anxiety disorder is an important issue that interrupts the daily lives of various individuals […]
• The US Annual GDP and Population Growth: Statistical Analysis This coefficient, or R2 for short, determines the degree of reliability of the constructed model for the variance of the data; in other words, the closer the value of R2 is to 1, the better […]
• Opioid Crisis and the Veteran Population The first alternative is to reduce the frequency of opioid prescriptions by providing relevant education and training for Hawaii clinicians to encourage them to utilize alternative treatment methods for veterans in need of pain management.
• The Prevention of Diabetes and Its Consequences on the Population At the same time, these findings can also be included in educational programs for people living with diabetes to warn them of the risks of fractures and prevent them.
• Pollination: Decline in the European Honeybee Population First, the study will aspire to establish the definite and expected rate of decline in the European honeybee population over the years.
• Prediabetes in the African-American Population The author’s work with DSMES proves that an evidence-based self-intervention may be applied via lowering blood sugar as high blood sugar is a characteristic of diabetes.
• Why Is Home Dialysis More Beneficial for the Adult Population? The purpose of the study is correctly focused on such phenomena as a comparison, description, and characterization of the fundamental components of home dialysis and its impact, influence, and effect on a patient.
• Population Diversity of the Middle East Cultural differences in the Middle East are primarily reflected by the languages and, more specifically, the existence of their numerous dialects in the area.
• Population Health Outcomes and Healthcare Service Delivery In terms of population health outcomes, changes in indicators like general and infant mortality and life expectancy “show that the health status in the U.S.population is improving over time, although racial and ethnic disparities persist”.
• Decline in the Honeybee Population and Farmers in the United States The analysis of farming in the country shows that the added revenue to crop production because of the pollinators’ activity is about $18 billion. Statistics evidence the topicality of the problem and the necessity to […]
• Population Health Promotion Benefits As a result, the community health nurse must supervise the community members in order to manage and control their health medical condition.
• Helping Black Population With Hypertension in New York State As evidence of the successful implementation of the program, the results demonstrated the reduction of the blood pressure after half of the year of treatment.
• Depression Among the Medicare Population in Maryland The statistics about the prevalence and comorbidity rates of depression are provided from the Medicare Chronic Conditions Dashboard and are portrayed in the table included in the paper.
• Depression as Public Health Population-Based Issue In regard to particular races and ethnicities, CDC provided the following breakdown of female breast cancer cases and deaths: White women: 128 new cases and 20 deaths per 100.
• The Black Population of New York State Analysis Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the black population of New York state affected by hypertension and analyze the reasons behind it and the interventions to improve the health outcomes.
• The Effects of Gold Mining in the Amazons on the Environment and the Population Excessive gold mining in the Amazon has led to the depletion of essential soil nutrients, especially nitrogen. As a result, ASGM in the Amazon has led to the destruction of the Amazon forest.
• The Older Population’s Disparities and Oppression The relationships between the younger and the older populations introduce a problem of abuse and disparities between the two. To conclude, it is clear that the problem of oppression and abuse of the elderly population […]
• Healthcare Administrators’ Role in Population Health The work of these specialists is as important as ever, yet they must change their practice because of growing disparity of healthcare access, while simultaneously requiring evaluating the potential influence and spending on new healthcare […]
• Population Health and How It Relates to Healthcare Any state seeks to optimize the delivery of health services and improve the well-being of its population. The aspect of economic development of the territory influences the morbidity of all people, first of all, children, […]
• Adolescent Population’s Characteristics and Health It is important to note that the teenager or adolescent population includes individuals between the ages of 10 to 19. The adolescent population is unique and complex, which is its social determinants of health are […]
• The Effect of Increased Median Age of Population on the Consumer Behavior Secondly, having no or fewer children allows people to spend more money on their own needs and increase the quality of childcare. Firstly, higher median age leads to more opportunities for people and increased diversity […]
• Health Issues of Vulnerable Population in Bolivia Bolivia presents one of the countries where lack of access to water causes various health issues, especially for the vulnerable population of women and children.
• Sexuality in the Elderly Population The cartoon chosen for the project depicts the physiological, psychological, and social components of sexual development in older adults, demonstrating that they are stigmatized due to their bodily changes and the absence of personal and […]
• Teen Pregnancy as a Population Health Problem The population affected by this health issue is adolescents between the ages of 15 to 19 or even girls at the age of 10.
• Population Control With Abandonment of Specific Children Children with deformities were also considered a threat to the economy, and they would drain the family if the child were sick from the deformation.
• Person-Centered-Care for Vulnerable Population Even though this group has been provided with benefits, the inequalities still matter because they affect the public health outcomes and the quality of medicine in general. In conclusion, the economically-disadvantaged group is still exposed […]
• Early Teen Pregnancy as Population Health Problem First of all, the importance of the health of adolescents and children is due to their role as a reserve of society in all spheres of life of the state.
• Problems of Indigenous Population of America and Canada The author notes trade as one of the areas of development of local communities, which influenced the way of life of the Indians.
• Obesity in Adolescent Hispanic Population According to Kemp, “the percent of Black and Hispanic teens with obesity increased significantly over the past decade, but the prevalence of obesity remained unchanged for non-Hispanic White adolescents and young children, according to data […]
• One-Day Resort in Vietnam: Entry Strategy, Target Population, and Product Description The number of international tourists arriving in the country in 2019 was one of the highest in the Asia Pacific region, and the country’s tourism receipts are set to increase every year until 2020.
• Alcohol-Induced Chronic Pancreatitis: Population Affected, Side Effects, and Treatment The recurrence of acute pancreatitis is linked to the development of chronic pancreatitis, and it is more prevalent in alcoholics who use alcohol often.
• Reduction of Obesity in the Adolescent Hispanic Population According to Kemp, “the percent of Black and Hispanic teens with obesity increased significantly over the past decade, but the prevalence of obesity remained unchanged for non-Hispanic White adolescents and for young children, according to […]
• The Black Population’s Disproportionate Mortality Rates From COVID-19 Due to general inequities in the public health system of the United States, such as a lack of health insurance caused by low income and unemployment, limited access to health care services, and the underrepresentation […]
• Major Depressive Disorder: Individual and Population Perspectives The primary focus of tins research is to illustrate specific environmental influences related to major depressive disorder by implementing the Public Health Exposome Model and, therefore, enhance a better understanding of factors that influence and […]
• Vaccination of Indigenous Population in Queensland The CDC evaluation model is used in the obtaining of the program policies in healthcare and sickness arresting. The engagement of stakeholders is the first step where the Australian Government Department of Health and the […]
• Infertility: Causes, Population Affected, and Treatment Infertility is one of the most common problems these days, and it means that a person does not have a chance to get pregnant for several health issues. The percentage of females suffering from infertility […]
• Chronic Renal Failure Disease: Causes, the Population Affected, and Prognosis In addition, the authors describe the impact of disease on clinical outcomes and the role of middle molecules as significant factors in the onset of pathology. The end stage of kidney damage is the stage […]
• The Issue of Overpopulation and Human Population Growth Control The consequences of overpopulation include the depletion of natural resources and climate change which have hindered the conservation of natural resources such as water and animals.
• The Salmonella Outbreak: Population, Causes, and Disparities In particular, behavioral determinants identify that the greatest chance of infection is present in groups that consume raw eggs and pay insufficient attention to washing them.
• The COVID-19 Impact on Public Health and Population It is yet to summarize all of the effects of the disease in the pandemic aftermath; however, it is already possible to collect some of the subtotals regarding the impacts on public health.
• Becoming an Ally of the Queer (LGBT) Population From my point of view, this state of affairs is not appropriate and should be addressed, meaning that I could act as an ally for social justice. This information reveals that allying with the LGBT […]
• Substance Use Disorder in Latino Population This leads to a common belief in the inefficiency of said treatment. The clinic offers a variety of addiction treatment services, and can help with rehabilitation from substance abuse.
• Drug Laws Influnce on Different Population Groups Despite all the dangers of drugs, the fight against them should not worsen the living conditions for the population and aggravate injustice. The fight against drugs also unfairly affects women, especially women of color.
• The Influence of Water Quality on the Population of Salmonid Fish It is expected that populations of wild salmonid fish may decline rapidly due to water pollution instead of farmed species because the effects of water pollution are deleterious.
• Sample Versus Population in Statistics Consequently, sampling can be defined as a method used to select a required sample from the whole population. Furthermore, probability-based methods can be divided into simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling, and cluster sampling.
• Aging Population and Its Effect on the US Healthcare However, on the flip side, growth in the number of older adults in relation to the young population would also signify a reduction in the labor force and, consequently, a decline in national income.
• Strategies to Detect Early Hypertension in African American Population of Darby Township Community The 2010 Census data for the community demonstrates that the African-American population of Darby constitutes almost 40% of its total population, and it is the group that is targeted by the current study.
• The COVID-19 Effects on the Sex Worker Population Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions increased discrimination, stigma, economic burden, and repressive policies and excluded sex workers from the global pandemic response.
• Population Health and Impact of ZIP Codes The life expectancy of people and the health of the population have geographic differences, which is the reason for the ZIP codes paradigm.
• Vulnerable Population: Community Engagement of African Americans Key characteristics of African Americans include higher levels of poverty, greater risk for poor health status, limited access to health services, and higher rates of morbidity, mortality, and infant death rate. Certain health practices exacerbate […]
• Career Development Program for 30-Year-Old Population At the age of thirty, it might be a challenging task for the individual to decide to change one’s career and face particular risks and concerns regarding a new occupation.
• The New Jim Crow System Related to the Black Population As a matter of fact, Jim Crow, or the Jim Crow system, may be defined as a particular racial caste system that existed in the United States between the 1870s and the middle of the […]
• Growing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Among the Nursing Population The nursing population tends to increase in diversity, prioritizing the need to encourage inclusion and equity. Recruiting nurses should include clarifying the terms of inclusion to engage them in the established environment.
• “Population-Centered Health Care in the Community” by Stanhope There is a multitude of moral and ethical issues to be found in the inadequate provision of health care on community, city, and state levels to the incredibly underserved homeless population within the United States.
• Boreal Woodland Caribou: Reduction in Population The fact that Woodland Caribou is a prey to many predators; this is a threat to its survival given the widespread predation that exists in the forest.
• The Persistent High Rates of Heroin Use Among the Puerto Rican Population in the US’ Article In this article, a quantitative approach would have complemented the qualitative method used in identifying high rates of heroin use among Puerto Ricans.
• Managing the Effective Population Size of the New Zealand Snapper Secondly, the method of statistical analysis was used to compare the DNA test results conducted for the two sets of materials and identify the changes in the genetic characteristics of the populations of the species […]
• Physiologically-Structured Population Models and Their Ordinary Differential Equations Reduction The paper seeks to solve the problem of understanding the conditions under which the individual processes against survival, growth, and fission do the developed equations lead to an honest representation of a cell-based model that […]
• Mathematical Biology: Explaining Population Extinction Species in settings with soft carrying capacities such as those with non-negative value K create a restricted expectation of a variation, given a full past history, is non-positive when the species surpasses the carrying volume.
• Vulnerable Population: HIV-AIDS The latest statistics identify HIV/AIDS as a major medical problem affecting the health sector. The disease currently affects over one million citizens.
• Improving Overall Health of Vulnerable Population Thus, the practicum, which is a holistic in approach to public health, will ensure that Hope House Mission and homeless persons have enhanced capacity to address healthcare needs they experience.
• Population-Focused Assessment and Intervention Furthermore, the assessment revealed that around 70% of women in the shelter do not know much about the health of their children and lack adequate parenting skills.
• Education Plan For an At-Risk Population First of all, the representatives of this population group are more prone to obesity which is one of the major causes of diabetes.
• Polypharmacy Effects on the Geriatric Population The planners have also outlined the stakeholders of the program and their roles in developing the program. The activities of the program are organized in a very clear and logical manner.
• The Population of Frail Elderly The sociological issues that the frail elderly faces are many and they include stress and depression fear of death and even change of behavior and personality disorders.
• Heart Disease: Population Affected- Brooklyn Brooklyn leads in morbidity of heart diseases in comparison to the rest of New York and the United States in general.
• Aging Population Study by Christensen Kaare et al. The descriptive approach in the Aging Population: The Challenges Ahead, the article written by Christensen Kaare et al, systematically and accurately elaborates on life expectancy trends in developed nations.
• The Effects of the Tuskegee Study on the Black Population The study at the center of the present discussion is called “The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis: A Case Study in Peripheral Trauma with Implications for Health Professionals”, and concerns some of the lasting implications […]
• UTI Prevention and Management in Geriatric Population UTI is widely spread among people of elderly age, both female and male, and they appear to be vulnerable to this disease due to a range of factors.
• The Notion of Nutrition in the Context of the Elderly Population in the Slum Dwellings of India The study discussed in the present paper will concern the notion of nutrition in the context of the elderly population in the slum dwellings of India.
• Global Black Population’s Health Needs Analysis Nevertheless, there are many helpful health services designed to help the Black community to address such health issues: Black Emotional and Mental Health: focus on healing, wellness, and liberation of Black people.
• Influenza Preparedness Among Public Housing Residents and Low-income Population This is a presentation about influenza preparedness and response among public housing residents and low-income populations.
• Vulnerable Population: Homelessness In such a way, they will be more prepared to come up with quality personalized approaches to health care for this vulnerable population’s representatives.
• Population Pyramid: The Case of the Republic of Moldova The population pyramid of the country during the year 2000 is as follows ): As it is possible to see, the number of people of child-bearing age and pre-child-rearing age are the majority, promising a […]
• Purnell Model for Chinese Migrant Population The choice of the Chinese sub-group is explained by the presence of Chinese culture in many countries of the world due to the increased immigration rate leading to the demand in transcultural nursing.
• Population Health Problem Assessment Although the percentage is declining in the last ten years, smoking is still a health issue and a significant concern to the citizens of the country.
• Effects of Population Increase on Forest Resources Thus there is a need to control the world population. This is a guide on how one is to conduct the research, collect data and analyze the data.
• World Population Could Peak Decades Ahead of the UN Forecast According to researchers from the United States, in the second half of the 21st century, the number of people on Earth will begin to decline.
• Global Population Growth and Increased Demand for Food He concluded that there are only two sides in the dialogue regarding the issue the followers of optimistic Norman Borlaug, who could be called Wizards, and the fans of more pessimistic William Vogt, the could […]
• Healthcare Agenda for the Geriatric Population Therefore, policies relating to reliable, effective, and efficient health care of the elderly in their physical environment should be formulated. Therefore, governments should formulate and fully implement policies relating to the environment of the geriatric […]
• Senegal’s Population and Migration Profile As per current projections, the population of Senegal is projected to increase for the remainder of the century. Roughly 42% of the population of Senegal lives in the rural area.
• Suicide Prevention Facts on the Adolescent Population Adolescent suicide and the increasing level of child suicide are painful topics that pose a number of problems and questions for parents and society: What prompts adolescents to take this step? Is it possible to […]
• Heart Disease Among Hispanic and Latino Population Hispanics and Latinos have the highest propensity for heart related diseases in the society. They are at a very high risk of developing diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
• Policy and Advocacy for Improving Health Population She states that it is always possible to volunteer to participate in policy-making activities and prepare a report on the necessary changes to present to decision-makers.
• Members of the American Population Remain Loyalists Furthermore, the fact that the opponents of Loyalists resorted to brutality and use of violence as the means of getting their point across did not help in convincing the supporters of the Crown that the […]
• One Can Protect the Entire U.S. Population Without Having to Vaccinate Everyone The vaccinated population will act as a shield of the other section of the population that is not vaccinated. Diseases can cause damage to a population, if measures are not taken, to ensure that the […]
• The Role of Program Development in Maintaining a Healthy Population On this light, the health departments put efforts to understand the state of health in a given population. In this case, 93 percent of the population comprised the males.
• Benefits of Exercises in the Aging Population Balance issues and falls are very frequent in the elderly, and they significantly contribute to the increased rates of institutionalization. This makes Tai Chi an important intervention in enhancing balance and reducing the risk of […]
• Hypothesis Testing of a Single Population 7 is assumed to be the mean of the population and the average sample sales of the selected sales representatives should be equal or close to the population mean.
• Intercultural Communication and Healthcare Delivery: Cranford Population The racial composition of the Cranford population shows that it comprises of different races, which implies that cultural communication is essential in the delivery of healthcare services.
• Moving Upstream to Improve Population Health Down the Road Due to the influence of the environment on the wellbeing of people, the need for devising policies for a sustainable future helps in supporting the vitality and productivity of society.
• Understanding of the Homeless Population The state of focus is Georgia and the County of Fulton. 2 percent of homeless individuals had severe cases of mental illnesses Nearly 34.
• Asthma Among the Japanese Population In a report by Nakazawa in which the author sought to determine the trend of asthma mortality among the Japanese population, emotional stress and fatigue emerged as the leading factors for the causation of asthma.
• Non-Citizen Population Estimates by Age Group and Gender Most of the female population was in the 20-24, 25-29 and 30-34 age brackets. Meanwhile, the majority of the male population was found in the 25-29, 30-34 and 35-39 age brackets.
• Education Role in Prompting Effective Population-Wide Health Behaviour Change Despite the efforts exerted by governments, health activists, and other health organizations so as to provide vast education on health matters, limited health behaviour changes have been attained.
• Suicide Among Aboriginal Population The prevention officer’s main role is the wrong approach since it is generic in nature and not tied to the problems of the Aboriginal population.
• Florida Prisons: Location, Population and Current Issue This paper will identify the types and locations of Florida’s prisons with a description of the recent inmate population and an analysis of the issues that currently affect the prison system.
• Arthritis: Treatment and Impact on Population Arthritis is an inflammation of joints that results in pain in the affected joints and eventually, the pain spreads to the rest of the body parts.
• Homeless Persons as Vulnerable Population in the US The nature of homelessness and its link to the resources available, the status of health and related risks can be of great significant to nurses.
• Myth: The Aging Population Is to Blame for Uncontrollable The issue of aging of the population is very critical, especially because it becomes worrisome when the health expenses increase and policymakers left with a dilemma on what to focus on in addressing the situation.
• HIV/AIDS Pandemic Facing the Female Global Population The questions that arise are; what factors are contributing to the prevalence, who are the most affected and what are the actions taken to mitigate the HIV/AIDS epidemic?
• Gay Couples as Vulnerable Population and Self-Awareness The idea of same-sex marriages has developed in America to a legal platform. Cultural beliefs that undermine the role of same-sex parenting have an impact on the efficacy of gay couples as parents.
• Caring for the Community: Identification of a Population to Study This laboratory report aims at discussing the peculiarities of the diagnosed disease management and the ways of how sepsis can be developed in the patient’s organism using the results of X-rays and blood tests.
• Bill Proposal: The Vulnerable Population Although the health care law adds benefits to assist in making the Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable upon reaching the Medicare Part D coverage gap, vulnerable populations have often fallen into what is commonly […]
• Heart Disease Among Hispanic & Latino Population One of the causes of the rise in the case of heart diseases in Westminster is the literacy rate of the Hispanic/Latinos in the county.
• The Spread of Ebola: Vulnerable Population of Liberia Aileen Mar a Marty has been dispatched to Liberia by the World Health Organization to help in combating the rapid spread of Ebola in some West African countries and in particular Liberia. The onset of […]
• Population Health Driver Diagram: Innovations and Their Use in Nursing The significance and effects of the PHDD was proven in 2012, when the reconsideration of the usage of antibiotics was on the agenda of both healthcare services and the services for public health provision.
• Sample Size (n) and Population Size (N) The formula is as follows: Where: n- Sample size in a study Variance of the population Z2- Variance/Error2 Error2- Square of error
• Diverse Population Needs in Prevention of Adult Falls In order to foster fall prevention, it is advisable for adults to exercise regularly in order to improve leg strength and consequently body balance.
• High Morbidity Rates Among the Elderly Population Are Attributed to Falls This paper will explore the research question that: Does the Use of Psychotropic Medications Increase the Risk of Falls Compared to the Non Use of Psychotropic Medications in the Elderly Population?
• Examination of a Global Population Issue of Russia The country is one of the richest in the world. The country also has the largest forest cover in the world, and the largest fresh water lake.
• Alcoholism Among the Adult Population in Wisconsin Alcohol dependency, which is an offshoot of excessive alcohol consumption, has been noted to lead to behaviours such as child abuse and neglect, poor dietary habits and absenteeism among the adult population in Wisconsin.
• Target Population Selection: Regulating Patient Safety To discuss the process of the target population selection, it is necessary to focus on the selection procedures, sample size, the data collection methods, and on the statistics used to analyze the data in the […]
• Effects of Changes in Population Demographics Because of a considerable increase in the age of the HIV/AIDS New Jersey patients, the necessity to take the risks of cardiovascular diseases into account when choosing the type of treatment for the patients in […]
• Smoking Among the Youth Population Between 12-25 Years
• Population Health Issue: Review
• Epidemiological Measures and Determinants of Population Health
• Population Health and Determinants
• Common Myths About Elderly Population
• Estimating Single Population Parameters
• Elderly Population: Are They Vulnerable?
• Aging Population in the Western United States
• Population Processes and Their Impact
• Human Papillomavirus and Gardasil for Teenage Population
• Population Increase and Birth Control
• Health Insurance in the USA: A Basic Necessity for the Population
• Race-Based Medicine: Diseases in Different Groups of the Population
• The Impacts of Underinsured Population
• Impact of Uninsured Population Project
• Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population
• Population Health Initiative: Healthcare and Ambulatory Care
• Nursing – Vulnerable Population
• Bayou Region of Louisiana: Underserved Population Problems
• Reducing Salt Consumption Among the Population
• “The Prevalence of Paraphilic Interests and Behaviors in the General Population” by Joyal and Carpentier
• “Impact of Whole-Body MRI in a General Population Study” by Schmidt
• Breast Cancer: At-Risk Population, Barriers, and Improvement
• Polygamy and Baptism: Indian Population
• Vulnerable Population: Elderly With Dementia
• Indigenous and Torres Strait Population and Diabetes
• Health Issues of the Population
• Immunization of the Wildlife Population Against Rabies
• Disparities in Healthcare Population Related to the Geriatric Population
• Poverty: Causes and Effects on the Population and Country
• Achieving the Dream Program for Student Population
• The Jewish People: Culture and Population
• Road Back Home: Hurricane Katrina and the Heaviest Toll for the Most Vulnerable Population
• Transnational Population of Tamils in Sri Lanka
• ‘The Tide of Population’ by Ehrlich and ‘Too Many Mouths to Feed’ by Lappe
• Human Population Growth and Limiting Factors
• Background Information on Population Census in the USA
• Biodiversity: Population Versus Ecosystem Diversity by David Tilman
• Police Officers Working With Diverse Population. Challenges and Solutions
• Impact of Uninsured in Rural Population
• ”American Holocaust” by David E. Stannard and the Destruction of the Indigenous Population
• Urban Population and Environment
• Thomas Malthus Population Growth Theory
• How Popular Is the Congress Among the Population?
• India’s Population Care and Composition
• The Minority Population in the USA on Purchasing Power
• Population and Environment in South Australia
• Population Grows And Environment
• Human Population Ecology: Human Interaction With the Environment
• Healthcare in the Middle East and the Aging Rates Among the Population
• Increasing Population of People Aged Over 65 Years
• Advocating for a Vulnerable Elderly Population
• Population Growth and World Hunger Links
• Individuals and Families in a Diverse Society: Ageing Population
• Moral Arguments and Population Issues Analysis
• Aging Population of the World as a Healthcare Issue
• Implications of Patient-Centered Care Approach in Rural Population
• Care Coordination for Aging Population in the Clinical Setting
• Social Work and Security of the Elderly Population
• Population Pressure, Surplus Population, Nature, and Capitalist Development
• Genes, Lifestyle, and Environment in Health of Population
• Dementia in Elderly Population
• Primary Prevention for the Aging Population
• Chinese Population’s Lifestyle and Diseases
• How Vaccine Refusal Influences the Health of the U.S. Population
• Climate Change Effects on Population Health
• Understanding of Viral Marketing Effectiveness and Population Marketing
• Homeless Population’s Needs and Human Services
• The G8 Countries: Population, Life and Gross Domestic Product
• Sustainable Future and World Population Trends
• Biodiversity and Animal Population in Micronesia
• Aging Population Impact on the Labor Market
• The Population Pyramid in Mexico
• Automatic Teller Machines and the Older Population
• Human Population Growth and Carrying Capacity
• Native American Population and Federal Policies
• “Population & Environment” in Mazur’s Feminist Approach
• Breastfeeding Counseling for Low-Income Latino Population
• Perception of Diabetes in the Hispanic Population
• Health Challenges: Low-Income Filipino Population
• Mindfulness Practice for Elderly Population
• Baby Boomer Population Impact on Health Care
• Environmental Ethics and Human Population
• Cancer Epidemiology for American Population
• The UAE Population: Xenical and Weight Loss
• Xenical and Weight Loss in the UAE Population
• Vulnerable Population in Biopsychosocial Assessment
• Hypothesis Testing for Single Population
• Health Service for Australian Indigenous Population
• Health Care for Disabled Population in the US
• Positive Psychology to Understand the Elderly Population
• Hypertension Effects on the African American Population
• Population Health Promotion in Spartanburg
• Australian Population Growth and Forecast for 2020
• Aging Population Trends in American Society
• Population Health and Education in the USA
• Urban Planning and Growing Population
• Climate Changes and Human Population Distribution
• China and India Population: Causes, Impact and Management
• Wolf Population’s Restoration in Adirondack Park
• Community Health and Population-Focused Nursing
• Aging Population Issues in American Prison System
• Berlin as a Home for Culturally Diverse Population
• Obesity in the US Population
• Disposable Water Bottle Usage by Youth Population
• Counseling Native Americans vs. White Population
• Population Size and Foreign Direct Investment
• Population Growth Control and Malthus’ View on It
• Film Theory: Impact on Modern Population
• Population Literacy Skills in Arab Countries
• Literacy of Population in Arab Countries
• The Impacts of Immigrant Population on Median Income
• Medicine: HIV/AIDS as the Key Threat for the Kenyan Population
• Canadian Healthcare Spending on Aging Population
• Global Population Increasing and Control
• Population Growth and the Associated Concerns
• Global Population Innovation and Sustainability
• Healthcare Issues of Elderly Population
• The Homeless Population Reducing
• Poor Children as a Vulnerable Population
• Vulnerable Population in Laurel
• The Implication of Population Demographics on Businesses
• Global Population Trends
• Human Population Growing Major Issues
• Impact of Aging Population on the US Economy
• Role of Civilian Population in World War I
• Government Issues: The Population Rate Reduction
• Muslims Increase and the Spread of Islam
• Effects of Population Density and Noise
• Population Increase Problem
• Minority Population at Risk: Homelessness
• The Human Population, Demographic Transition: Phase IV
• Population Growth Impacts on the Environment
• Descriptive Method Design – Sample Population
• Effects of Ageing Population as Driving Force
• Latino Population: Heterogeneity, Migration, Acculturation and Health
• European Colonization Impacts on the Native American Population
• Public Health in Culturally Diverse Population
• Social Perspectives in Population Health
• Population Growth Control
• Population Ageing in Canada
• Relationship Between Japanese Population in the US and Illegal Immigrants
• Supporting of Marijuana Legalization Among the Adult Population
• Social Media Amongst the Student Population
• Review of Journal: China’s Floating Population
• Population and Sustainability
• Aging Population in Singapore
• Macroeconomic Policy About Population Growth
• Effects of Man on Wild Salmon Population
• Valid and Invalid Application of BDI in a Population
• The Effects of Population Density and Noise
• Definition of Alcohol Misuse (Alcohol Abuse and Addiction) in Youth Population Age 18-29
• United States Population Growth
• Socio-Economic Benefits of Immigrant Population in the US and Canada
• Population Pyramids: UK, Indonesia, and Ethiopia
• The Civil Rights Movement: Oppressing the Black Population
• Problems in Elderly Population in Modern World
• The Planning Action to Bring Water to the Town Population
• Discrimination of Certain Categories of the Population
• Current Issues in Global Business: Effects of Population Trends and the Over Aging of Many Western Countries
• Exponential Population Growth: It Is a Small World, After All
• Population Growth and the Distribution of Human Populations to Effects on the Environment
• Human Population and Global Resources
• The East African Market: Population Demographics and Economic Segments
• Consequences of an Older Population
• Examination of a Global Population Issue
• The Hispanic Population in the United States
• Population Health Assessment: The African Americans in Brooklyn
• Population Demographics: Hungary
• Ageing Population Will Affect Countries in the Future
• Reasons Why the Black Women Population Did Not Consider Themselves a Part of the Ongoing Feminist Movements
• Jonathan Kozol: America’s Poor Population in “Amazing Grace”
• High Population Growth
• Environmental Controversy: Population Growth and Soil Fertility
• Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease Among Older Population
• Recent Population Trends and Their Impact on Cities and Suburbs
• Effects of Population Density
• Fluoride and Mercury – The Dumbing Down of Our Population
• The Problem of Population Aging in the US
• The St. Croix Chippewa Ojibwa Indians and the Somali Population
• The Worrying Population Statistics
• History of the English Population During the 19th Century
• Effects of the Columbia River Dams on Salmon Population
• Global Population Issues and Population in the UAE
• How Many Types of Population Are There?
• What Is the Full Population of Earth?
• How Does Population Impact Economic Development?
• How Does Population Affect the Economy?
• How Does Population Growth Affect the Quality of Life?
• What Are the Types of Population?
• Is the Human Population Decreasing?
• What Is Population Based On?
• How Do You Determine Population?
• What Is True Population Effect?
• What Causes High Population?
• What Are the Things That Increase a Population?
• What Will Happen if Increase in Population?
• Why Do We Sample the Population?
• What Are Population Made Of?
• What Are the Benefits of Population?
• How Do You Control a Population?
• How Can the Population Growth Be Reduce?
• What Factors Decrease Population?
• What Is the Difference Between the Sample and Population?
• What Are the Main Problems of Population?
• Why Is Population Growth Important?
• How Does Population Affect the Environment?
• How Does Population Growth Affect Natural Resources?
• Does Population Affect Climate?
• Social Science Titles
• Racism Paper Topics
• Human Trafficking Titles
• Poverty Essay Titles
• Marriage Essay Ideas
• Kindergarten Essay Topics
• Indigenous People Research Topics
• Immigration Titles
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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IvyPanda . "373 Population Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 2, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/population-essay-topics/.

The Growth of World Population: Analysis of the Problems and Recommendations for Research and Training (1963)

Chapter: introduction, introduction.

All nations are committed to achieving a higher standard of living for their people—adequate food, good health, literacy, education, and gainful employment. These are the goals of millions now living in privation. An important barrier to the achievement of these goals is the current rate of population growth. The present world population is likely to double in the next 35 years, producing a population of six billion by the year 2000. If the same rate of growth continues, there will be 12 billion people on earth in 70 years and over 25 billion by the year 2070. Such rapid population growth, which is out of proportion to present and prospective rates of increase in economic development, imposes a heavy burden on all efforts to improve human welfare. Moreover, since we live in an interconnected world, it is an international problem from which no one can escape.

In our judgment, this problem can be successfully attacked by developing new methods of fertility regulation, and implementing programs of voluntary family planning widely and rapidly throughout the world. Although only a few nations have made any concerted efforts in this direction, responsible groups in the social, economic, and scientific communities of many countries have become increasingly aware of the problem and the need for intelligent and forthright action. We recommend that these groups now join in a common effort to disseminate present knowledge on population problems, family planning, and related bio-medical matters, and to initiate programs of research that will advance our knowledge in these fields.

More than bio-medical research will be required, for control of population growth by means of voluntary regulation within each family poses major social and economic problems that can be solved only in part by biological means. Of special importance is the need for extensive and immediate research in the field to learn how we can make family planning more effective in societies that recognize the need for it. The challenge to students of social problems can hardly be overstated.

In view of its relationship to the welfare of all men, individually and collectively, the problem of population growth can no longer be ignored. Increased understanding of present procedures and development of new methods for regulating fertility will maximize the freedom of all parents to determine the size of their families even in those countries where population growth is not an urgent social problem but where fertility regulation can have great personal significance. It should be emphasized that the kinds of basic bio-medical investigations that will contribute to solutions of problems of human fertility will also provide information that can be applied to the development of methods for overcoming sterility, for influencing embryonic development in order to repair genetically determined biochemical deficiencies, for avoiding harmful influences of drugs taken during pregnancy, and, in general, for assuring optimum conditions for embryonic and fetal development.

In pursuit of these objectives, many different kinds of institutions in the United States, both public and private, have important contributions to make. Other than the search for lasting peace, no problem is more urgent.

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | Global Population Growth and Decline

How might declining fertility rates affect the world’s future well-being?

Source: U.N. World Population Prospects 2022

Note: Only countries with at least one million people are included.

By The Learning Network

Economists and demographers who study population size project that the world’s population will reach a peak of about 10 billion people around 2085, if not earlier. Thereafter, the population is not expected to plateau, but instead decline to less than two billion about 300 years later, over perhaps 10 generations. Factors that influence population size of a country include fertility, mortality, migration and age structure. One of the results of population decline may include reduced economic growth.

Note: The fertility rate in the United States is 1.7. The total population is approximately 340 million.

1. After looking closely at the graph above (or at this full-size image ), answer these four questions:

What do you notice?

What do you wonder?

How does this relate to you and your community?

Create a catchy headline that captures the graph’s main idea.

The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order.

2. Next, join the conversation online by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box. (Teachers of students younger than 13 are welcome to post their students’ responses.)

3. Below the response box, there is an option to click on “Email me when my comment is published.” This sends the link to your response which you can share with your teacher.

4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association , will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

5. By Friday morning, Nov. 17, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.

“Children born today will very likely live to see the end of global population growth … We peak soon. And then we shrink.” This claim and the accompanying evidence appear in the guest essay “ The World’s Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What Happens Next? ” — published in The New York Times on Sept. 18, 2023. The author is Dr. Dean Spears, an economist at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas, Austin. The essay is based on his recent research paper .

There are several provocative statements in the essay that respond to wonders generated from this graph.

Wonder: How will depopulation affect the world’s economy?

“Innovations and discoveries are made by people. In a world with fewer people in it, the loss of so much human potential may threaten humanity’s continued path toward better lives.”

Wonder: How will depopulation affect the climate?

“It would be tempting to welcome depopulation as a boon to the environment. … Population decline would come quickly, measured in generations, and yet arrive far too slowly to be more than a sideshow in the effort to save the planet.”

Wonder: How will depopulation affect societal priorities and policies?

“The economics and politics of a society in which the old outnumber the young will make it even harder to choose policies that support children.

Is global depopulation a crisis? The Opinion essay that includes the above graph states that it could be unless planning is done now.

What are the possible effects of a peak in global population followed by a decline? Dr. Spears states that economists predict a decline of worldwide economic wealth. He states, “As with climate change, our individual decisions on family size add up to an outcome that we share.” Now is the time to discuss what steps could be taken. He notes that The New York Times reported on the threat of climate change in 1956. That was about 60 years ago. And, the projected peak in population is now about the same 60 years away. His essay is a call to action. He writes that “(w)aiting until the population peaks to ask how to respond to depopulation would be as imprudent as waiting until the world starts to run out of fossil fuels to begin responding to climate change.”

Here are some student headlines that capture the main idea of the graph: “Declining Fertility Rates Across the World. How Does This Affect the World’s Well-Being?” by Matthew of Wantagh, N.Y.; “African Birth Rates Remain Flourishing While the Rest of the World Diminishes — Leaves Experts Confused.” by Imran of Valley Stream North High School in New York; “Oh, Baby! Decreased Fertility Rates” by Morgan of Academy of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, N.J.; and “Womb for Improvement: Declining Fertility Rates” by Yan and Priya from University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, La.

You may want to think about these additional questions:

1. “Population decline would come quickly, measured in generations, and yet arrive far too slowly to be more than a sideshow in the effort to save the planet,” claims Dr. Spears. Explain this comment using what you notice from the above graph that appeared in the article .

2. The above graph, which also appears in the article , is a multivariate data graph with four variables: gross national product per capita (a measure of average national wealth per person), total fertility rate, year (1990 and 2021) and country. When viewing the online graph, you can click on an individual vector to see the country it represents and its related statistics.

What do you notice and what do you wonder from this graph?

3. The above graph accompanied the Times article “ Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage ,” published on Nov. 12. This is a population pyramid graph (see Stat Nuggets below).

What do you notice and wonder from this graph? What can you infer about Vermont’s fertility rate? How does this population distribution relate to Vermont’s economy?

4. According to demographers, the prime driver behind reduced fertility rate is increasing living conditions. The graphs in the Our World in Data article “ The Short History of Global Living Conditions and Why IT Matters that We Know It ” display the change in some of the main factors that improve living conditions. The consequences of these factors are longer lives, healthier children, better education, shorter workweeks and many inventions such as the lightbulb, cars, antibiotics and the internet. Look at the graphs included in the article: What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Keep noticing and wondering. We continue to welcome your online responses.

The next graph looks at water supply and demand for the Colorado River . Live moderation will be on Wednesday, Nov. 29. By subscribing to the Learning Network newsletter here , you can receive notices of the “What’s Going On in This Graph?” releases on Fridays preceding Wednesday’s moderation.

Stat Nuggets for “ The World’s Population May Peak in Your Lifetime. What Happens Next? ”

Below, we define mathematical and statistical terms and how they relate to this graph. To see the archives of all Stat Nuggets with links to their graphs, go to this index .

BUBBLE LINE CHART

A bubble line chart is a type of graph that displays the value of a quantitative variable as a bubble along an axis that represents a second quantitative variable. The diameter of the bubble is proportional to the value of the first variable. The value of the second variable is represented by the position of the bubble along the axis. This type of bubble chart is a variation of a dot plot with data points replaced by bubbles to represent the value of the second variable.

In the World Population Peak graph, each bubble represents a country. The diameter of the bubble represents the country’s population size. The vertical axis represents the county’s 2021 total fertility rate. For example, China, which has the largest population, is represented with the largest bubble. It has a 1.2 total fertility rate, which is less than the replacement fertility rate of 2.1. Consequently, China’s population is declining.

POPULATION PYRAMID GRAPH

A population pyramid graph is a comparative bar graph which displays the numbers or percentages for a pair of groups, often male and female, or two countries, in each age interval. The graph clearly shows a population’s age distribution.

The above population pyramid graph displays the age distributions for Vermont and the United States in 2022. The age intervals are five years. By comparing the percentages or the lengths of the bars, it is easy to see that Vermont’s population is older than the U.S. population. All intervals 50 years and older have a greater percentage of the population in Vermont than in the U.S.

The graph for “What’s Going On in This Graph?” was selected in partnership with Sharon Hessney. Ms. Hessney wrote the “reveal” and Stat Nuggets with Roxy Peck, a professor emerita of statistics at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, and moderates online with Ellen Thompson, a mathematics and statistics teacher at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 60 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change .

• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic , graph type and Stat Nugget .

• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar .

• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.

• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website , which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and the Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

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and Sciences

Global Population Aging: Facts, Challenges, Solutions & Perspectives

The rapid aging of populations around the world presents an unprecedented set of challenges: shifting disease burden, increased expenditure on health and long-term care, labor-force shortages, dissaving, and potential problems with old-age income security. We view longer life spans, particularly longer healthy life spans, as an enormous gain for human welfare. The challenges come from the fact that our current institutional and social arrangements are unsuited for aging populations and shifting demographics; our proposed solution is therefore to change our institutions and social arrangements. The first section of this essay provides a statistical overview of global population aging and its contributing factors. The second section outlines some of the major challenges associated with widespread population aging. Finally, the third section of the essay describes various responses to these challenges, both current and prospective, facing individuals, businesses, institutions, and governments.

DAVID E. BLOOM, a Fellow of the American Academy since 2005, is the Clarence James Gamble Professor of Economics and Demography in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His many publications include recent articles in such journals as  JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Finance & Development , and  Science .

DAVID CANNING is the Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences and Professor of Economics and International Health in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His many publications include recent articles in such journals as  Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Applied Statistics , and  Journal of International Development .

ALYSSA LUBET is a Research Assistant in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research interests include economics, women's health and reproductive health, and population studies.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented transition in global demography. The world’s population is aging rapidly, and older adults compose a larger proportion of the world’s population than ever before–a share that will only increase over the next century. By 2050, the percentage of the United States’ population that is aged sixty years and older will grow from the current figure of about 20 percent to 27 percent. The global number of centenarians worldwide–those aged one hundred years and older–is expected to more than double by 2030, with projections of nearly 3.4 million by 2050. 1  Three major factors are driving this transition: decreasing fertility, increasing longevity, and the aging of large population cohorts.

Falling fertility rates are the main determinant of population aging. Low fertility rates lead to smaller youth cohorts, which create an imbalance in the age structure: older age groups become larger than their younger counterparts. Thanks to accessible and effective birth control, increased child survival, and cultural changes, birth rates have dropped dramatically in the past century. In 1950, the global total fertility rate (TFR), or the average number of children per woman, was about 5; by 2010, that number had dropped by 50 percent. By 2050, the TFR will have dropped even further to about 2.25 children per woman. In many countries, fertility rates are now well below the long-term replacement rate of just over two children per woman.

Changes in fertility rate are accompanied by increased longevity, another driver of population aging. Averaging for sex and location, a child born in 1950 had a life expectancy of only forty-seven years, while an adult who had survived to the age of sixty could expect to live another fourteen years. In contrast, by 2010, life expectancy at birth had increased to seventy years, and continued life expectancy for those aged sixty increased to twenty years. In a number of populations, recent increases in longevity have been attributed to falling rates of tobacco consumption, as well as improvements in medical technologies. 2 By 2050, life expectancy at birth is expected to have risen to nearly seventy-seven years, while life expectancy at age sixty will increase to twenty-two-and-a-half years.

Meanwhile, large population cohorts, such as the United States’ postwar baby boom generation, are moving through middle age and older adulthood. This movement can be seen in Figure 1, which depicts the population of more-developed countries (MDCs) broken down by sex and age group. Males are on the left side of the pyramid and females are on the right. The shifting shape of the population pyramid between the years 2010 and 2050 illustrates the baby boom cohort’s movement from middle into older ages.

These global phenomena–decreasing fertility, increasing longevity, and the aging of large birth cohorts–combine to drive up the percentage of older adults as a share of the global population. In 1950, only 8 percent of the world’s population was sixty years or older; this number increased to 11 percent by 2010. Over the next several decades, this proportion is expected to rise dramatically, reaching a projected 21.2 percent by 2050. The change is even more dramatic for the share of the world’s population aged eighty years or older. This proportion climbed from just 0.6 percent in 1950 to 1.6 percent in 2010, and is projected to make up 4.1 percent of the global population by 2050.

While the population of virtually every country is aging rapidly, there remains considerable variation at both regional and country levels, with strong correlations to differing income levels. MDCs trend toward low fertility and high longevity, and less-developed countries (LDCs) trend toward the opposite. At the low end of the fertility range are the MDCs found in Eu - rope and East Asia, with Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Singapore tied for the lowest TFR of 1.28 children per woman. Meanwhile, Sub-Saharan Africa has a regional TFR of just over 5, while also hosting the highest country-level fertility rates: Somalia (6.61), Mali (6.86), and Niger (7.58). As for longevity, Japan is in the lead with a current life expectancy at birth of eighty-three-and-a-half years, in stark contrast to Sierra Leone, where life expectancy at birth is slightly over forty-five years.

Tables 1 and 2 depict the percent of the elderly population in the world’s most and least population-aged countries, now (2010) and projected in the future (2050). The 2050 figures are based on a medium fertility projection, which assumes that fertility in all major areas will stabilize at replacement level (at slightly over two children per woman). This comparison reveals stark differences in age profiles between countries. For example, currently 23 percent of Germany’s population is aged sixty-five years and older, while the corresponding figure for Qatar (with its large expatriate worker population) is only 1 percent. These rankings are projected to shift considerably in the next half century, with only Japan holding over in the top five most population-aged nations. . . .

Access the full volume here . 

• 1 Unless otherwise stated, population figures are drawn from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, Population Estimates and Projections Section, World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision (New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2014), http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm.
• 2 Colin D. Mathers, Gretchen A. Stevens, Ties Boerma, Richard A. White, and Martin I. Tobias, “Causes of International Increases in Older Age Life Expectancy,” The Lancet 6736 (14) (2014).

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• Population Essay

Introduction to Population

Population is a very interesting topic to learn. There is no denying the fact that the population of any country is a very strong indicator of how exactly the country will function in the future and what its capabilities are as a nation. Leaders of the world pay a lot of attention to their country’s population for the same reason. The population and the skills that they possess are perhaps some of the most essential assets for any country. The following article is an essay on the topic of population and has been structured in a way that students of all ages can learn and understand the key points that they need to mention whenever they are writing an essay like this. 

Brief on Population

When we talk about a country’s population, we are talking about a lot of things. We are talking about its future workforce, the people that will build the country as a place to live and grow in, we definitely are talking about the future of the entire country. Taking India’s example, when we talk about the population of the country, we are talking about the future of the dream that our freedom fighters dreamt for us as a nation. Together, the entire population of a country has the potential to change the entire landscape of the kinds of work, and jobs that they do. 

The population of a country is responsible for the economical changes and growth in the country and hence is very important. It is also very important to take care of this population. The population needs the right kind of food, healthy environment to grow in and a great and comfortable lifestyle right from the start. Is that something that is possible for everyone? We all know the answer to this. In a country like India, where income disparities are massive, there is no chance for every single section of the population to have a good lifestyle right from the start that can help them grow as individuals. 

The same applies for other countries as well. Every country has an income disparity among the people that live in it and this is what makes the topic of population so interesting. We already know that it is the biggest asset that any country can have, but every country must plan and strategize well to take care of this population so that every single need is being fulfilled. This not only helps the country flourish as a whole, but also increases its chances of becoming successful in the future. 

Population Explosion

The current population of India is around 140 crores. According to certain reports, in the next few years, there will be a solid growth of population in India, and globally too.

The population is the total number of human beings living in a city or the country. It allows knowing how much resources are required by this population to fulfil and other plans needed. Year by year, there has been an explosion of population, which is making it difficult to provide resources to every person living in the country. Low literacy, early marriage and demand for family growth are some of the reasons behind the explosion of the population.  India is the primary ground of population explosion. It covers 17% of the population of the world and is the most populated country.

Reasons Behind the Growth of the Population

There are many reasons for the growth of the population. The low literacy rate is one of the reasons behind this explosion. For example, in India, the literacy rate is relatively low in many states. Many people living in the village fail to complete education and have less knowledge about birth control. They keep on expanding their family.

Moreover, they do not carry much knowledge about birth control techniques or medication. This lack of understanding further leads to a population explosion.

Another primary reason behind the growth of population is child marriage. The custom of child marriage is still followed in many parts of the country. Parents marry off their daughter at an early age, and at a young age, these girls get pregnant. This process continues for a long time.

One of the reasons behind this growth is there are not strict laws in India, unlike other countries. This also makes it hard for citizens to get an equal share of resources.

Impact of Population Explosion

Population explosion causes harm, not only to citizens of the country, but also nature. Increase in population means the need for more space to live, resulting in deforestation. Many cities have lost the green zone to fill it with urban living. Deforestation is leading to the extinction of species and other resources.  Animals are losing their homes, which makes them encroach on cities taking the lives of people.

Subsequently, an increase in population is also leading to population. More and more people are buying vehicles for their convenience, which is resulting in pollution. Massive traffic, congestion on roads and other negative scenes are witnessed in cities.

Population increase also calls for industrialization, which invites pollution in all areas. A country like India is now witnessing a massive problem of pollution and global warming.

Irregular distribution of food to all populations is another significant impact. Many families in rural areas do not get proper food to eat. Many poor kids go to sleep without eating food. This irregular distribution of food is not the scenario only in India, but other developing countries.

How to Control the Population?

One of the ways to control the population is to educate people about its ill effects on the country's resources. Government, along with NGOs, need to visit every rural area of the country to inform people about population control.

Providing birth control kits, education to kids and monetary benefits to families successful in restricting birth can do the needful.

We, humans, often forget how we are going to suffer if the population keeps exploding. If the number keeps rising, then it will be difficult to survive. Citizens need to understand the negative impact of the population explosion. Taking the right measures and keeping the resources in mind will help to control the population.

FAQs on Population Essay

1. How can the population affect climate change?

A growing population can have a significant impact on climate change. The buildup of human-generated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is one of the effects of increasing human population. According to one study, there is a deep relationship between population growth and global warming. One child can produce 20 times more greenhouse. Similarly, a child born in the US will add up to 9441 carbon dioxide. This is certainly the most chilling effect of increasing population.

Global warming is the most common fear for today and the coming generation. To stop its growth, controlling the population is essential.

2. How population growth affects the environment?

There is a direct impact of population on the environment. More the population, the more resources are needed. There is a requirement that more space means more deforestation. Population growth also leads to an increase in greenhouse gases, which can affect this planet earth.

Rising sea levels in the coastal region are seen, which eventually leads to flooding. Like these, there are many impacts on the environment due to population growth. In many cities in developing countries, there is a shortage of space. People are not able to find space to live. Moreover, they find it hard to get clean water and are exposed to air pollution and other environmental issues.

3. Will the population increase post-lockdown?

According to the UN report, India will witness a baby boom post-lockdown. The report said, "The pandemic could strain health care capacities for mothers and newborns.” There is an estimate of 116 million babies to be born post-lockdown. The case is not just about India, but China (13.5 million births), Nigeria (6.4 million) and Indonesia (4 million). Post-lockdown, it could be a testing time for developing countries on how the population will affect resources.

4. What are some things that shall be considered while writing an essay on the topic of “Population”?

Whenever you are writing an essay on this topic, make sure that you are highlighting points like how population grows, the impact of this growth, ways to control population and the reasons why population of a country is so important. Once this is done and when you have an idea of what you need to be writing about, start building upon these points. By simply doing this, you will be able to write a brilliant essay. 

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World Population Day Essay

In 1987, there was an event called the "Five Billion Day", to recognize the time that human populations broke through the five billion mark. In the 20th century alone, world populations increased to 6 billion. Here are some sample essays on world population day.

100 Words Essay On World Population Day

On July 11, the world observes World Population Day. This year's theme is "Investing in Youth." World Population Day is intended to increase awareness and educate people about global population issues. It is important to remember that population growth is not just a problem for developing countries. In fact, the more developed a country becomes, the more people it can support. But that doesn't mean that the issue isn't worth addressing. By raising awareness and working together to find solutions, we can make sure that everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive, regardless of where they live.

200 Words Essay On World Population Day

The world's population is ballooning, and with it comes mounting global challenges. You might be wondering: What is the world doing to address this population explosion?

What Is World Population Day?

World Population Day, a day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about global population growth and its effects on social and economic development. The date was selected because it coincides with the day that world population passed the 7 billion mark. And according to the UN, it's estimated that we'll reach 9.7 billion by 2050. That's a lot of utilisation of resources since with population growth comes increased pressure on resources like food, water and energy.

Global Challenges From Population Growth

On July 11th, we commemorate World Population Day to bring attention to these challenges and to promote sustainable solutions. This year's focus is on the central role of young people in the population growth and sustainable development.

As the world's population nears 8 billion, it's more important than ever to ensure that everyone has access to quality education, health care and other basic needs. We need to empower young people with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions about their own futures.

500 Words Essay On World Population Day

On World Population Day, it's important to reflect on how we can best manage population growth in a way that benefits everyone.

Positive and Negative Effects of Population Growth

The growth of the world's population is often viewed in a negative light. And with good reason: the more people there are on this planet, the more competition for resources there is, which can lead to increased poverty and inequality. But population growth can also have some positive effects.

When more people are born, it means more workers are entering the workforce, which can help to spur economic growth. Additionally, as countries become more populous, they tend to become more prosperous and developed. So while population growth does have its drawbacks, it's important to remember that it also has its benefits.

What Can We Do to Reduce Population Growth?

So what can we do to reduce population growth? Here are some strategies that have helped in the past and could work in the future:

Empowering women and girls through providing them with access to education and equal opportunities.

Supporting sustainable agriculture initiatives, which promote more efficient farming practices.

Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation facilities, which are key for reducing infant mortality rates.

These strategies may not directly address population growth, but they can help increase quality of life for people around the world, which is an important factor when it comes to reducing population growth.

How Do We Sustainably Manage Population Growth?

With World Population Day, it's important to think not only about the current population and the issues surrounding its growth, but also how we can sustainably manage population growth in the future.

One way to approach this is through education and family planning. By providing more access to education and knowledge about contraception, we can help empower individuals to make decisions that feel right for them – be it having larger or smaller families.

Additionally, offering financial support for those who choose to have fewer children can help contribute to individuals making more sustainable choices.

We need to do more than just create awareness through - effective solutions require proper funding and policy support. It's essential that world leaders come together on a global scale and take concrete steps to ensure that everyone has access to the resources they need when it comes to making decisions about family size.

Celebrating World Population Day: Takeaways

So, now that you know about World Population Day, what can you do to make a difference? Here are some ideas:

Share information on social media | Use the hashtag #WorldPopulationDay to raise awareness of the day and call attention to the issue of population growth.

Get involved in advocacy work | Contact your local representatives and urge them to work on initiatives that would help promote family planning and reduce global poverty.

Taking action is the only way we can make a real difference, so be sure to get involved in whatever capacity you can! Celebrate World Population Day by educating yourself about population issues, raising awareness, and taking positive steps towards reducing world poverty and increasing access to family planning resources.

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The Overpopulation Project

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Too many people consuming too much

What is the optimal human population? An eminent economist weighs in

Efforts to specify the optimal human population on Earth are as complex as they are controversial. A recent book from Cambridge University economist Sir Partha Dasgupta develops a theoretically rigorous approach to this perennial question, finding that an optimal human population might range from 500 million to 5 billion.

by Phil Cafaro

It is gratifying to see the great increase in recent years in philosophical attention to population ethics. While Sarah Conly’s book One Child: Do We Have a Right to More? has set the agenda for debate among rights-based approaches to population ethics, Partha Dasgupta’s recent Time and the Generations: Population Ethics for a Diminishing Planet , seems likely to do so for many utilitarians. It joins a growing list of efforts to specify an optimum human population on Earth.

Dasgupta, Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics at Cambridge University, takes humanity’s environmental predicament seriously, writing that “the enormous economic success we have enjoyed in recent decades may be a down payment for future failure” as we spend down natural capital and threaten essential ecosystem services (p. 227). Interestingly, he believes it is a mistake to reduce these environmental threats to global climate change, as is often done, writing: “Global climate change attracts attention among intellectuals and the reading public not only because it is a grave problem, but also because it is possible to imagine meeting it by using the familiar economics of commodity taxation, regulation, and resource pricing without having to forego growth in living standards in rich countries” (p. 102). A focus on climate change also leads analysts to concentrate on technological solutions, rather than consider reducing consumption or limiting human numbers. But while developing and deploying new technologies can play a role in reducing environmental impacts, it is unlikely to lead to real sustainability, Dasgupta believes, in a world where natural capital is unpriced or underpriced, and the goal is always more growth. Besides, new technologies often have unanticipated negative environmental side effects.

All this suggests a need to return to the old equation I = PAT and attend to P (population) and A (affluence, per capita consumption) as well as T (technological change). Dasgupta does so by working out estimates for a sustainable global population at various average income levels, with income standing in as a proxy for consumption. In a paper titled “ Socially Embedded Preferences, Environmental Externalities, and Reproductive Rights ,” written with Aisha Dasgupta and included in Time and the Generations , they note that current global GDP is about $110 trillion and that according to the Global Footprint Network, humanity’s ecological footprint is 60% above what is sustainable. This suggests, very roughly, that a world GDP of $70 trillion could be sustainable. Looking at international surveys, they note that in wealthy countries additional income above $20,000 per year is not statistically related to greater reported happiness, and that this same amount was the average income in high-income countries in the early 1980s, when people were about as happy as they are today.

“If we now regard 20,000 international dollars as the desired standard of living for the average person,” the Dasguptas write, “the maximum sustainable population comes to 3.5 billion,” less than half our current one (pp. 257-258). If $10,000 is set as an acceptable average income, the maximum sustainable global population doubles to 7 billion. Wherever we set desired average income, there is a trade-off between average income and the number of people who can be sustained globally. We can ignore this trade-off only by decreasing Earth’s long-term carrying capacity, and only temporarily. But according to the Dasguptas, this represents a failure of stewardship and disregards the rights of our descendants.

Reproductive rights are important, the Dasguptas believe. But “to insist that the rights of individuals and couples to decide freely the number of children they produce trump all competing interests is to minimize the rights of all those (most especially, perhaps, future people) who suffer from the environmental externalities that accompany additions to the population.” (p. 234). Our children and grandchildren have a right to sufficient food, shelter, and physical security, and to opportunities to develop and flourish. All these can be compromised on an overpopulated planet.

The Dasguptas believe that “the concept of reproductive rights, as currently framed, undervalues family planning” (p. 249), for two reasons. First, it ignores the potential effects of excessive numbers of children on others: a matter of justice . Second, it ignores the fact that people might want lots of children even if it won’t be good for them, their existing children, or future members of their societies: a matter of basic welfare. “A poor woman, suffering from iron deficiency and living in a setting where she is compelled to have sex and bear children, has a need for contraception for her own benefit that could remain undetected in her responses to questions regarding her desire for children,” they write. “To infer needs solely from wants is therefore to undervalue the significance of family planning” (p. 247).

“The clash of rights we have identified in this essay arises from the fact that much of the biosphere is treated as a free good,” the Dasguptas write (p. 261). We need to reduce such environmental externalities through sensible public policies, while realizing that having children is an inherently social act involving claims on limited resources. That means that procreation may need to be managed for the common good, justifying a certain amount of “ population engineering ,” in Colin Hickey’s phrase. Best to face this fact and make explicit policies with a clear-eyed understanding of the limits we face and the ethical goals we hold.

The body of Time and the Generations seeks to do just that, in a long technical essay titled “Birth and Death,” written at the intersection of philosophy and economics. This essay lies in a long line of utilitarian attempts to specify an optimal human population , going back through Derek Parfit’s seminal book Reasons and Persons (1984) and beyond. In this essay, Dasgupta intriguingly attempts to arrive at an ethically plausible compromise between the philosophical approaches of Average Utilitarianism (in which average human well-being is held all important) and Total Utilitarianism (which takes aggregate human well-being as its central value), both of which generate ethically counterintuitive implications regarding population policies. In their place, he argues for Generation-Relative Utilitarianism. The basic idea is to discount the well-being of future generations (in order to facilitate practical planning and focus on creating flourishing human societies, rather than generating the maximum possible tonnage of human flesh), while not discounting our descendants’ well being too much (in order to preserve a reasonably just commitment to it). (Generation-Relative Utilitarianism thus appears to be a “variable value” theory; for a good introductory discussion of philosophical theories of optimal population from an anthropocentric perspective, see Hilary Greaves’ 2017 article “ Population Axiology ”).

Relying on Generation-Relative Utilitarianism, Dasgupta develops a formal theory that relates population, per capita consumption and biospheric capacity (K), suggesting, as in his earlier paper, that we have to work out optima for the first two variables while respecting the third. Failing to do so makes morally unjustified demands on future generations, who will have to bear the costs of diminished biospheric capacity. Calculating hard numbers under such a framework necessarily involves assumptions and considerable uncertainty; this includes uncertainty regarding total biospheric capacity, uncertainty regarding a proper discount rate for thinking about future people’s well-being, and uncertainty regarding how best to balance average consumption against the number of consumers (as one goes up the other must go down).

But not complete uncertainty! Within a range of plausible answers to these questions, Dasgupta delivers a range of optimal global populations between 0.5 and 5 billion. Like his earlier paper, this more rigorous effort suggests that humanity is already grossly overpopulated relative to global ecological carrying capacity and relative to the per capita consumption reductions that people are likely willing to undertake to remain within it. So does a revision of the earlier “Socially Embedded Preferences” paper, “ Population Overshoot ,” in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Population Ethics . This new effort defines per capita environmental impact in terms of average production, rather than average consumption, as in the earlier version. It sets an optimal sustainable global population at 1.8 billion people.

Dasgupta’s central argument is strictly anthropocentric, in line with most ongoing philosophical debates about optimal population. The biosphere is treated essentially as a resource (or source of all resources) for human use; carrying capacity and optimal population are functions of what is possible or best for humans. Any limits to drawdown on biocapacity are understood as boundaries beyond which human happiness is no longer maximized, or unnecessary human suffering is caused. This anthropocentrism might be obscured because Dasgupta is very worried about biodiversity loss. Yet within his theoretical model, biodiversity loss can only register as important via declining biocapacity available for human use.

From one perspective, this anthropocentrism strengthens the overall argument for attending to population. As Professor Dasgupta wrote in kind response to a query from me, he deliberately made “minimalist assumptions” in developing his moral arguments, to show that even if all people care about is ourselves, we need to limit our population.

Yet Dasgupta, like most ethicists, realizes the moral insufficiency of anthropocentrism . As he writes in the final paragraph of “Birth and Death,” a truer ethics will recognize the intrinsic value of Nature and direct us accordingly:

It’s a mistake to seek justification for the preservation of ecological diversity, or more narrowly the protection of species solely on instrumental grounds; that is, on grounds that we know they are useful to us or may prove useful to our descendants. Such arguments have a role, but they are not sufficient. … A full justification bases itself as well on how we see ourselves, on what our informed desires are. In examining our values and thus our lives, we are led to ask whether the destruction of an entire species-habitat for some immediate gratification is something we can live with comfortably. (p. 120)

For Dasgupta, clearly, such destructive behavior is wrong. Considering our duties toward future generations and the future of Earth’s biosphere should lead to less selfish behavior, since “the idea of intergenerational exchange is embedded in the perspective of eternity” (p. 120). In considering an optimal human population, it cannot be unimportant whether we share the landscape justly with other species. We should grant some portion of biospheric capacity to other species and thus limit human use to some fraction of K smaller than 1. Whether that fraction should be ½ K (as under E.O. Wilson’s “Half Earth” proposal, which would preserve most existing species from near-term anthropogenic extinction) or a different fraction is a matter for further ethical debate and biological research.

Justice toward other species can be plugged into Dasgupta’s model. For example, assuming we reserve half the Earth primarily for the use of other species, the range of optimal global human populations shrinks from 0.5 – 5 billion to 0.25 – 2.5 billion people. Beyond any such calculations, adding a direct moral responsibility to avoid extinguishing other species strengthens our duty to effectively address human overpopulation.

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69 responses to “What is the optimal human population? An eminent economist weighs in”

Whatever is the maximum, the present number is blindingly, obviously too many! One does not need to be a professor to make that determination. Personally I’d suggest five billion as a maximum.

“The present number is too many.” Yes indeed, you won’t get any argument from us about that! But it’s important that when scholars like Dasgupta or Chris Tucker crunch the numbers, they regularly find that to be the case. “Time and the Generations” is a rigorous study. For your friends who might not be on board yet about population issues, his book (or this summary) might be a good gift.

A perspective based upon ecological science of human population dynamics.

https://countercurrents.org/2021/06/human-population-activity-the-primary-factor-that-has-precipitated-a-climate-emergency-biodiversity-loss-and-environmental-pollution-on-our-watch/

With thanks to all,

Steven Earl Salmony, Ph.D., M.P.A. AWAREness Campaign on the Human Population established 2001 Chapel Hill, NC USA

The answer is really quite simple. Do you want to live in a grass hut with no a/c or in a modern home?

If people with means weren’t selfish, they would adopt children in need of homes instead of making new babies out of ego. Anyway, I digress. How many people do we need on this planet to sustain the species? Well, if you want to live like cavemen or bushmen, 1,000 living heads per this planet might do. If you enjoy your jet airplane trips, your automobile, your TV set, your pina coladas, your Miller brewskies, your new shotgun for doves, your AR-15, your air conditioner, your smartphone and your microwavable foods, it takes considerable more manpower on earth to maintain that comfortable style of human living 21st century Americans all take for granted. One human alone can’t build Boeing aircraft with one hand while brewing the commercial Miller beer with the other hand stirring the vat.

PS – It all boils down to how comfortable or how primitive people want to live. The world population has gone bonkers only since the dawn of the industrial revolution.

Even if the proposition that Malthusian ‘population growth’ is responsible for environmental degradation on earth is valid, without clear causative evidence, two major and pressing factors are ignored here.

With fertility rates already dropping and population growth stalling, how can population growth be stopped prematurely without major disruption in the short term, or why bother if clearly starting a decline?

Fossil fuels? Governments could implement robust environmental and carbon emissions regulation quickly but are impeded by delaying tactics supported by the fossil fuels sector e.g. citing population growth as the issue via the junk science Limits to Growth, hence, creating regulatory inertia and protecting future income streams of fossil fuel producers and related.

You are right that humanity needs to phase out fossil fuel use and phase in renewables, as quickly as possible. But I’ve never seen population matters used as an excuse not to do that.

You write that “population growth is stalling.” At least globally, that’s false. In recent years, the global population has increased by 80 to 85 million annually. That’s a huge increase; in absolute terms, close to the peak annual increases seen in the 1960s and 70s.

Dinosaurs ruled the world for 160 million years. I can guarantee with absolute certainty, not merely 99.99% certainty, that within the next 100,000 years all, and I do mean all, resources necessary for civilization, as we know it, to exist and function will be exhausted and no longer available for use by humanity. In simple words, no later than 100,000 years from now humanity will be back in the Stone Age and the supportable population will probably be under 25 million. And 100.000 years is a very, very short period of time to the 160 million years that the dinosaurs ruled the earth. Jason G Brent [email protected]

Jason: I offer that you need to look at, and talk about, today and the next 100 years. Don’t waste your mind, living in a melodramatic far future.

Well how many is largely influenced by whether we all want to live in tents and ride bicycles or have some level of comfort and dignity, but for now, I’ll stick with David Pimentel’s heavily researched number for decades ago, which determined that over all and AT BEST Mother Earth can put up with only about 2 billion of us long term, with it key that if the U.S. would get it’s ghastly, high-consumption population of an astounding 333 million, highest per-capita carbon-emission citizens anywhere from increasing (Wall Street has other plans.) and then, slowly, reduce it’s population to the 200 million we were in 1972, it’d give Mother Earth a badly needed breather!

If you’re assuming that without a personal car you cannot have a life of comfort and dignity, this would mean that the vast majority of human beings that have ever existed (everyone until the 1950s, and billions still today) has had and is still having an undignified life. This seems a bit extreme to me. There are many options between abject poverty and a car an oversized house for each one of us.

Greetings Gaiabaracetti. It would be interesting to know what YOUR opinion of what optimum exists between poverty and car, big house etc., is? I am not an ’eminent economist’ – but I KNOW that there are not enough resources to sustain a greater population, hence thousands of children are suffering malnutrition and death. Even if we shared more equally there would still be insufficient! Also I note that you failed to mention that in the halcyon pre 1950 days that the life expectancy for most people was considerably lower than now – do you wish to ‘turn the clock back’ to those days? The simple fact is, whatever fact and figures you quote, that there are too many human beings on the planet!

I agree about climate change. I’ve long begun thinking that now almost everyone (including politicians, mainstream media, finance and industry even) appears to be on board with doing something about climate change because they think they’ve figured out a way to make money from it and keep the economy growing (“green” jobs etc). Never mind that transitioning to renewable energies, while necessary, is proving environmentally devastating and we’re just getting started… also, it’s easy to put a number on: co2 emitted, degrees… other things are much harder to measure – you can write a heartbreaking poem about land lost to intensive agriculture (John Clare did), but in our numbers- and growth-obsessed society, it’s nothing.

One thing I partly disagree with is that it’s just future generations we’re hurting with overpopulation. If the meadow next to someone’s house is paved over and apartments are built on it; if natural places are flooded with people, if prices go up and conflicts arise etc… you’re harming people now, not just later.

Seems to me gaiabaracetti finds the right balance. Mathematicians talking to economists talking to statisticians talking to other mathematicians talking to . . . isn’t going to get the job done. Populationists have some wonderful writers and wonderful speakers . . . but they could use better publicists!

John, I am not disputing that there are too many people on the planet for all of us to have a decent life and share this Earth equitably with all the species that inhabit it. I am not the most qualified person to give you an exact number of how many of us there “should” be, and I do agree that it depends on what level of quality of life and consumption – and green spaces – we want or need to keep. History never goes back, so I am not proposing we go “back” to anything. I certainly would like to keep good healthcare available as long as possible, although part of the health sector is very wasteful and sometimes unnecessary or counterproductive, and life expectancy is not the only criterion to measure good health and a good life (there’s a very good article on Low Tech Magazine online on this). ALL I wanted to say is that some of the things we think we cannot live without are not so indispensable. My proposal would be to figure out some kind of slightly-variable budget for each human being, in terms of resources and / or energy, and let each use it as they please. For example, if you really want to have a car you won’t get to travel as much abroad or keep many pets, or if you really like owning clothes or books or electronic appliances you would need to sacrifice having a big house, or whatever combination roughly fits into your budget. Of course, easier said than done, and some countries might prefer a larger population and lower per capita consumption, or vice versa. Still, my point is that we don’t all need to live exactly the same way, and the richest in the world certainly should not be our example in terms of lifestyle. They’re not even any happier than regular folks.

With current technology an earth of two to three billion of us could be an Eden, at seven approaching eight things are getting bad, fast, and an Earth of nine to ten billion of us will just be one huge living Hell.

Read the book “Blip” by Chris Clugston. He proves in that book, in my opinion, that the collapse of civilization will commence around the year 2050 due to the inability of the earth to provide the resources our civilization needs to continue. In simple terms, he proves that we will run out of natural resources by the year 2050, Professor Jared diamond has stated that there is a 49% chance that by the year 2050 there will be a major civilization of people. In any event, it can be stated with absolute certainty, not merely 99.99% certainty, that 1000 years from now our civilization will no longer exist due to the inability of the earth provide the necessary resources. 1000 years from now the human population will be below 100 million and will exist at the Stone Age level. Jason G Brent [email protected]

As a start, I have been advocating for a world population of 2.5 billion, plus a 50% decrease in consumption rates by rich countries ASAP, If we don’t heed the warnings by scientists, including myself, climate change, plus other forms of environmental pollution, will do us all in.

[…] Development Goals, and eventual stabilization at an optimal world population range of the sort Sir Partha Dasgupta has envisioned. This approach could be termed Fair Start family […]

Industrial and domestic waste generation needs to become far costlier for companies and the individual. Material ownership and any commercial action must build in the future cost of disposing and recycling all materials owned and used in far greater accounting detail. Let’s face it; it’s not done now and cheating is the rule. Recycling can be far more enhanced, specifically and fully applied, and policed. For example, with the use of integrated RFIDs. It’s not just about plastic bottles, it’s about plastic house cladding, plastic flooring, machine and automobile parts and so on, the majority of which may be “considered” recyclable – but isn’t actually recycled. Land dumps must be certified against leakage and the ability to decompose. Heavy fines need to apply. Our lifestyle needs to be reigned in. GDP must fall. Let’s have more leisure time, forego production increases, and find the way back to revive nature, and live with and in it. Along the way populations will fall.

[…] 0,1,2 . . . 0. That scale, in the real world, looks like this vision of the future and aligns with other approximations of optimal populations. This is correct state of relative self-determination, and it enables us to orient ourselves from […]

The human population will collapse; either voluntarily (unlikely) or nature will take its course. Either way, by then we will have taken out millions(?) of other species. Is our species worth that much?

[…] the environment as the world stands at a crossroads between continued growth, or moves towards an optimal world population. The should be help accountable for this […]

[…] The people responsible for what happened fundamentally created conditions that lead to, and will lead to, massive suffering and death, especially when we consider ongoing intergenerational impacts like the climate crisis. Their followers are continuing to promote growth as a means of enriching themselves, despite impacts on children, animals, and the environment. Now the world stands at a crossroads between continued growth, or a move towards an optimal world population. […]

[…] will grow to as many as 16 billion by 2100. We need policy that stabilizes population growth at an optimal range of between 500 million and 5 billon, […]

[…] a cost or benefit is actually practicable, given what we know about intergenerational justice, optimal world population ranges, and the need for very specific policies, like education, to ensure relative self-determination (or […]

[…] to further social justice in her current position, we arrive at a more sustainable future and an optimal world population, where every vote counts, and privilege is earned rather than […]

[…] reforms that also encourage smaller and more sustainable families, and movement towards optimal world population targets that would better ensure participatory democracy where every voice […]

[…] subject to family planning incentives/entitlements that will bend the population growth arc towards qualitative optimality. An example of this process involves our current campaign to shift the official interpretation of […]

[…] and possibilities for change. But what does the book say about the role of population? Unlike many recent scholars, Rockström and Gaffney believe the current global population, or even one several billion larger, […]

[…] (or creation norm). We can thus take the wealth Exxon and others made by degrading the baseline to instead restore it – using it to incentivize ecosocially just and restorative family planning, and by do so all […]

[…] policies? Is it employing a restorative standard for climate mitigation? It is pointing the world towards optimality, or growth that will multiply unforeseen threats – the very thing that happened with […]

[…] the climate crisis? The investor class, according to Nobel laureate Steven Chu. A class that, according to another economist, ignores the need to stabilize the human population at a much lower level than what exists […]

[…] than half of the present 7.9 billion. A recent study by the economist Partha Dasgupta arrived at a range from 0.5 to 5 billion people, depending on standards of living and average […]

[…] and political self-determination, we would aim – through family reforms – for populations of people who would be relatively self-determining per the formula […]

[…] norm measures would have bent the arc of population growth downwards towards what many see as optimal world population ranges. Those ranges, like all population matters, actually involve people – and the fundamental […]

[…] to thrive. Rather than vie for supremacy, we should urge the United Nations to do its job and help change family systems to create that […]

[…] World population is increasing by 80 million people per year. It took 200,000 years to reach our first billion around 1800 – it took just 12 years to add our last billion. Experts tell us that a sustainable population level would be at most 3 billion, or in the range 0.5-5 billion. […]

[…] And given that the majority of people will be those who live in the future changing behavior might be best thought of as having and raising kids well. What the heck does that mean? In the Twentieth Century, based on significant developments in the fields of child development, civil society came largely to agree – in what would eventually be called the Children’s Rights Convention – on the birth and development conditions children deserve. These resources would create a world we should all value – filled with nature, equality of opportunity, and democracies where each person would matter. […]

https://thelocalreporter.press/on-ravaging-gaias-web-of-life/

[…] nature. One can imagine this process simply as using good representative ratios to move toward what many see as optimal world population ranges. Fair start family reparations override because being just in who we are precedes being just in […]

[…] One can imagine this process simply as using good representative ratios to move toward what many see as optimal world population ranges. […]

[…] we can bend the arc of growth to arrive at a liberated future clearly descried by theorists like Partha Dasgupta and Joseph […]

[…] solution to the constitutive fallacy is holding ourselves at optimal population ranges, which if we use Fair Start modeling will ideally reflect just power relations, at the same […]

[…] And in the event you breach this goal, you set huge strain on the ecology. As one researcher factors out — “Any limits to drawdown on biocapacity are understood as boundaries past which human […]

[…] redistributing it in the form of family planning reparations and entitlements that move the world towards natural democracies required by human […]

[…] massive influence to preserve unjust systems that heap costs on others. Such a move ensures we achieve optimal communities by 2100, that are compliant with the Children’s […]

[…] move towards fair start planning, and optimal population and power relation ranges as envisioned by Partha Dasgupta and others, through things like constitutional litigationmeant to ensure climate […]

[…] move towards fair start planning, and optimal population and power relation ranges as envisioned by Partha Dasgupta and others, through things like constitutional litigation meant to ensure climate restoration […]

[…] move towards fair start planning, and optimal population and power relation ranges as envisioned by Partha Dasgupta and others, through things like constitutional litigationmeant to ensure climate restoration […]

[…] move towards fair start planning, and optimal population and power relation ranges as envisioned by Partha Dasgupta and others, through things like constitutional litigation meant to ensure climate […]

[…] massive influence to preserve unjust systems that heap costs on others. Such a move ensures we achieve optimal communities by 2100, communities that are compliant with the Children’s […]

[…] should embrace true animal liberation, and not mislead as to what that […]

[…] in those conditions enough to limit growth towards the optimal population ranges specified by Sir Partha Dasgupta and Dr. Chris Tucker. That would require the opposite of the policies now in place (the ones lauded […]

[…] equity as the fundamental human right, thus pointing towards future population ranges specified by Sir Partha Dasgupta and Dr. Chris Tucker. – described in detail below. All human behavior orients from some level […]

[…] That would be the beginning of freedom in terms of actual relations. If we don’t offset as our numbers grow, something is going wrong. This fact also gives us a qualitative basis for determining and meeting optimal world population ranges that track what many decorated theorists have suggested.  […]

[…] certification. This would bend the arc of growth and fundamental power relations towards Dasgupta’s optimal ranges by 2100.  Many in positions of power evade this discussion and refuse to exit a political system that […]

[…] ensure they do have any children in a place and with resources to ensure that child will survive, thrive and live as free as possible. This is the human rights-based and first priority for climate reparations and because extreme […]

[…] ensure they do have any children in a place and with resources to ensure that child will survive, thrive and live as free as possible, in a system of social and ecological self-determination as can readily assess. This is the human […]

[…] testable by sufficient investments in each child to create equal offsets and degrowth relative to nature. Democracy requires treating people as emaciated ends, with equal and influential roles in choosing […]

[…] This is not charity or altruism. According to a raft of positive peer-reviews it is impossible to ensure the capacity for us to choose who has influence or power over us, to be free, without reforming family policy around every child’s right to a fair start in life, testable by sufficient investments in each child to create equal offsets and degrowth relative to nature. […]

[…] Image courtesy of overpopulation-project.com via Google Images […]

[…] population’? Not my words. That ‘optimal population’ is the esteemed view of the Overpopulation Project. By the way, it isn’t called the Overpopulation Project because they’re keen for you to go […]

More important than determining an optimal global human population would be determining optimal human population for each nation state. Effective political action on population will only be taken by national governments, and there is little likelihood of any of them attempting such action based on global data. Has anyone applied the analytical techniques of the Dasguptas, or those of other ecologically-minded population theorists, to individual countries? Such data would give politicians, activists, lobbyists, and concerned laypeople much more useful information to work with, I should think. I for one would certainly like to see a table of the 200 or so countries currently existing and their respective optimal populations as per the best estimates of the reputable experts.

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Essay on World Population Day for Students and Children

500+ words essay on world population day.

As a planet, there are abundant challenges we face about our future. Pollution, depleting natural resources, climate change crisis are all major difficulties we must try and resolve. However, our biggest challenge still remains the exponentially rising world population . Over the last 150 years, our planet has seen such a population explosion that it has rapidly become our biggest crises. To bring focus to this problem of overpopulation we celebrate World Population Day every year on July 11. Let us see more about the significance of this day in this essay on world population day.

The World Population Day is marked on July 11 and it is an annual event. The main purpose of marking such a day is to bring awareness about the rising global population and the issues and problems that arise with such overpopulation. The event was first suggested by Dr. Zacharia in his capacity as a demographer at the World Bank. It was during his term, the population crossed the five billion mark.

So in 1989, the governing council of UNDP (United Nations Developing Program) decided to mark every July 11 as the World Population Day. So this day is being marked for over three decades in various ways by all the participating nations of the United Nations.

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Significance of World Population Day

In this essay on world population day, we saw the reason and motivation behind such an annual event. Let us now learn about its significance. The most obvious objective behind the world population day is to educate the whole population about the consequences of rampant population growth. It is necessary that people understand the effect it can have on the environment and the development of our world.

Overpopulation is leading to very quickly depleting natural resources in the world. Some of these resources like fossil fuel are non-renewable and are causing major problems already. Such depletions and scarcity are wreaking havoc on the livelihood and the daily lives of people.

Read 500 Words Essay on Population here.

Another important aspect of World Population Day is to teach the general public about sustainable development. It is an effective way for us to lessen the threat we face from the population explosion. It ensures that our future generations can also enjoy the same privileges and resources we are able to enjoy at the moment.

Countries also use the occasion of World Population Day to spread awareness and education about family planning, poverty, and human rights. The UN Population Development along with the UNDP closely work with various countries and other agencies to spread the message. They even plan and execute several programs to educate people and help curb global overpopulation. Every country celebrates the day in its own unique method. Students get involved, posters are made, events are held and hopefully, the message is passed on.

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