population growth essay conclusion

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• Population Growth Essay

Essay on Population Growth

One of the major problems the world is facing is the problem of the exponential growth of the population. This problem is the greatest one. Most countries in the world are showing a steep rise in population figures. The world’s resources are limited and so they cannot support a population beyond a certain limit. There has been news about the scarcity of food grains and the paucity of jobs mounting across the world. The number of human beings is multiplying at a steady rate. The world population has already crossed the six billion mark and it is expected to double in the next three or four decades. 

If the population continues to grow at this rate then the economy of the overpopulated countries will be unable to cope up with the growth of the population. Every attempt to bring peace, comfort and welfare to everybody’s door will be thwarted and misery will become prominent if the population is not kept within proper limits. Except for a few countries, all countries are facing a population boom. Currently, the largest populated country in the world is China and India is the second-largest populated country. India represents 17% of the world’s population. Other countries like Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia and some countries of Europe are threatened to be burst into the seams by population explosion.

Causes of Population Growth

The major cause of population growth is the decrease in death rate and rise in the life span of the average individual. Earlier, there was a balance between the birth and death rate due to limited medical facilities, people dying in wars, and other calamities. The rapid spread of education has made people health conscious. People have become aware of the basic causes of diseases and simple remedies for them.

Illiteracy is another cause of an increase in population. Low literacy rate leads to traditional, superstitious, and ignorant people. Educated people are well aware of birth control methods. 

Family planning, welfare programs, and policies have not fetched the desired result. The increase in population is putting tremendous pressure on the limited infrastructure and negating the progress of any country.

The superstitious people mainly from rural places think that having a male child would give them prosperity and so there is considerable pressure on the parents to produce children till a male child is born. This leads to population growth in underdeveloped countries like India, Bangladesh. 

Poverty is another main reason for this. Poor people believe that the more people in the family, the more will be the number of persons to earn bread. Hence it contributes to the increase in population. 

Continuous illegal migration of people from neighbouring countries leads to a rise in the population density in the countries. 

Religion sentiment is another cause of the population explosion. Some orthodox communities believe that any mandate or statutory method of prohibition is sacrilegious. 

Impact Due to Population 

The growth of the population has a major impact on the living standards of people. Overpopulation across the world may create more demand for freshwater supply and this has become a major issue because Earth has only 3% of freshwater. 

The natural resources of Earth are getting depleted because of the exponential growth of the population. These resources cannot be replenished so easily. If there is no check on the growth of population then there will be a day in the next few years when these natural resources will run out completely. 

There is a huge impact on the climatic conditions because of the growth of the population. Human activities are responsible for changing global temperature. 

Impact of Overpopulation on Earth’s Environment

The Earth's current population is almost 7.6 billion people, and it is expanding. It is expected to surpass 8 billion people by 2025, 9 billion by 2040, and 11 billion by 2100. The population is quickly increasing, far surpassing our planet's ability to maintain it, given existing habits.

Overpopulation is linked to a variety of detrimental environmental and economic consequences, including over-farming, deforestation, and water pollution, as well as eutrophication and global warming. Although many incredible things are being done to increase human sustainability on our planet, the problem of too many people has made long-term solutions more difficult to come across.

Overpopulation is mostly due to trends that began with a rise in birth rates in the mid-twentieth century. Migration can also result in overcrowding in certain areas. Surprisingly, an area's overcrowding may arise without a net increase in population. It can happen when a population with an export-oriented economy outgrows its carrying capacity and migratory patterns remain stable. "Demographic entrapment" has been coined to describe this situation.

Some Major Effects of the High Population are as Follows

The rapid growth of the population has caused major effects on our planet. 

The rapidly growing population in the world has led to the problem of food scarcity and heavy pressure on land resources. 

Generating employment opportunities in vastly populated countries is very difficult. 

The development of infrastructural facilities is not able to cope up with the pace of a growing population. So facilities like transportation, communication, housing, education, and healthcare are becoming inadequate to provide provision to the people. 

The increasing population leads to unequal distribution of income and inequalities among the people widened.

There will be a large proportion of unproductive consumers due to overpopulation. 

Economic development is bound to be slower in developing countries in which the population is growing at a very fast rate. This also leads to low capital formation. Overpopulation makes it difficult to implement policies. 

When there is rapid growth in a country then the government of that country is required to provide the minimum facilities for the people for their comfortable living. Hence, it has to increase housing, education, public health, communication and other facilities that will increase the cost of the social overheads.

Rapid population growth is also an indication of the wastage of natural resources. 

Preventive Measures

To tackle this problem, the government of developing countries needs to take corrective measures. The entire development of the country depends on how effectively the population explosion is stemmed. 

The government and various NGOs should raise awareness about family planning and welfare. Awareness about the use of contraceptive pills and family planning methods should be generated. 

The health care centres in developing and under-developed countries should help the poor people with the free distribution of contraceptives and encourage the control of the number of children. 

The governments of developing countries should come forward to empower women and improve the status of women and girls. People in rural places should be educated and modern amenities should be provided for recreation. 

Education plays a major role in controlling the population. People from developing countries should be educated so that they understand the implications of overpopulation.

Short Summarised Points On Population Growth

Based on the number of deaths and births, population growth might be positive or negative. 

If a country's birth rate outnumbers its death rate, the population grows, whereas more ends result in a drop.

There are 7.7 billion people on the earth, and India, with 1.3 billion people, is the second-most populous country after China.

Mumbai, the Bollywood capital, is India's most populous city, with a population of 12 billion people. Delhi, India's most populous city, comes in second with 11 billion inhabitants.

The advancement of knowledge in science, medicine, and technology has resulted in lower mortality and higher fertility, resulting in population rise.

Factors contributing to India's population expansion, such as mortality and fertility rates, child marriage, a lack of family planning, polygamy marriage, and so on, have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem.

Industrialization, deforestation, urbanisation, and unemployment have all been exacerbated by population expansion. These causes degrade our environment and contribute to societal health issues.

Pollution, global warming, climate change, natural catastrophes, and, most importantly, unemployment are all caused by the population.

To keep population increase under control, individuals must have access to education and be aware of the dangers of overpopulation.

The government must raise public awareness about illiteracy and educate individuals about the need for birth control and family planning.

Overpopulation may lead to many issues like depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and degradation and loss of surroundings.  All countries must take immediate steps to control and manage human population growth.

FAQs on Population Growth Essay

1. What Do You Mean By Population Growth and How is it a Threat to the World?

Population growth refers to the rapid increase in the number of people in an area. It is a threat to the world because the world’s resources are limited and it cannot support a population beyond a certain limit.

2. What are the factors of Population Exponential Growth?

The factors for the exponential growth of the population are illegal migration from other countries, illiteracy, lack of awareness of contraceptive methods, poverty, lack of basic amenities, religious sentiments and superstitions. 

3. What steps should India take to reign in population growth?

Family planning and welfare must be made more widely known by the Indian government. Women and girls should be given more power. Free contraceptives should be distributed and people should be educated at health care centres. In schools and colleges, sex education should be required. Some more points to ponder are given below:

1. Social Actions

The minimum age for marriage is 18 years old.

Increasing women's status

Adoption of Social Security and the Spread of Education

2. Economic Interventions

Increased job opportunities

Providing financial incentives

3. Additional Measures

Medical Services

Legislative Initiatives

Recreational Resources

Increasing public awareness

4. What Impact Does Overpopulation Have on Our Planet?

Overpopulation is linked to a variety of detrimental environmental and economic consequences, including over-farming, deforestation, and water pollution, as well as eutrophication and global warming. Although many incredible things are being done to increase human sustainability on our planet, the problem of too many people has made long-term solutions more difficult to come across. Because of the exponential rise of the human population, the Earth's natural resources are depleting. Overpopulation has a significant impact on climatic conditions. The fluctuating global temperature is due to human activity.

5. What are the impacts on the population?

The influence of population expansion on people's living conditions is significant. Overpopulation around the world may increase demand for freshwater, which has become a big issue given that the Earth only possesses 3% freshwater. Because of the exponential rise of the human population, the Earth's natural resources are depleting. These materials are not easily replenished. If population growth is not slowed, these natural resources will run out altogether in the next several years. The population explosion has had a significant impact on climatic conditions. The fluctuating global temperature is due to global warming and needs to be regulated immediately as glaciers have already started melting and global temperature is rising at an alarming rate.

Population Growth and Economic Development: Policy Questions (1986)

Chapter: conclusion.

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

Conclusion We have examined a diverse set of mechanisms through which population growth affects economic development. This chapter opens with a review and synthesis of our conclusions on the expected effects of a decline in the population grown rate that works through these mechanisms. It then proceeds to a discussion of how environmental and institutional contexts mediate the actions of these mechanisms a major theme of this report. The final section discusses policy implications. EFFECTS OF SLOWER POPULATION GROWTH ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Following the framework set up in the Introduction, we consider how conditions are likely to differ if a country, through a government program, were to achieve and maintain lower fertilibr than it would otherwise have experienced (with constant mortality). As noted above, such a decline would produce at every subsequent point slower population growth, smaller population size, lower population density, and an older age structure. Working through these direct demographic effects, a reduced level of fertility is also likely to produce several other changes. Slower Population Growth and Exhaustible Resources Globally slower population growth may delay the time at which a particular stage of depletion of an exhaustible resource is reached. This effect does not necessarily increase the number of people who will have access to 85

86 POPUW7ON GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT that resource; rather, it moves the consumption stream further from the present. But it is important to recognize that no single exhaustible resource is essential or irreplaceable; it is valued for its economic contribution, not for its own sake. As easily accessible reserves of natural resources are exhausted, the real cost of extraction, and hence the resource pace, rises. This price rise should stimulate the search for alternative materials. Historically, these adaptive strategies have been extremely successful. To the extent that slower population growth results in a slower rate of resource depletion, these adaptive strategies will also occur more slowly. Hence, it seems unlikely that slower population growth will allow a larger number of people, over future generations, to enjoy a given standard of living thanks to lower natural resource prices. Slower Population Growth and Renewable Resources Slower population growth, in some cases nationally and in others globally, is likely to lead to a reduced rate of degradation of renewable common- property resources such as air, water, and species of plants and animals. If significant amounts of land and forest resources are held in common in a country, they will also tend to be degraded less rapidly. These effects are likely to be more evident in the short run-in say, a decade or two. In the long run, population growth itself might create greater incentives to develop the social and political institutions necessary for conservation. Such incentives are irrelevant, of course, if the resource has become depleted beyond the point of restoration. Moreover, changes are costly and the need to bear such costs is itself a consequence of population growth. Slower Population Growth, Health, and Education Lower fertility is likely to raise average per child levels of household expenditure on health and education and thereby improve levels of child health and education. By themselves, such changes should result in a more productive labor force. Superimposed on these within-family effects is the possibility that lower fertility will alter the distribution of children among families by income class. If fertility declines are largest among high- income families, average levels of schooling and health among children could actually decrease despite an absolute improvement in measures of well-being among poor families. But if family planning programs result in larger fertilibr reductions among poorer families, the within-family gains will be accentuated at the societal level. Slower population growth is likely to raise public expenditures on schooling per school-aged child. Evidence from the educational literature suggests that

CONCLUSION 87 such a result may lead to some improvement in educational quality as measured, for example, by test scores. We do not find convincing evidence that lower fertility will result in faster growth in enrollment ratios (apart from within-family effects). Slower Population Growth and Income Unless a fertility decline is concentrated among high-income families, it is likely to lead to a reduction in income disparities among social classes. This is primarily a long-term effect (although a variety of short-tenn effects are also possible) and wows primarily by raising payments to labor relative to payments to capital and raising payments to unskilled labor relative to skilled labor. We have found little evidence that the aggregate savings rate depends on growth rates or the age structure of a population. Assuming that the savings rate remains unchanged, a fertility decline will lead to an increase in the ratio of capital to labor and, along with it, labor productivity, wages, and per capita income. The increase in the capitalllabor ratio will reduce rates of ran to capital and reduce payments to owners of capital. In the short run, more land per agricultural worker is likely to raise labor productivity in agriculture. Long-term effects may differ because of changes in the organization and techniques of production that are induced by the relative change in factor availability. These effects may reduce the short- term gains of slower growth. Slower Population Growth and Cities Win slower population growth, cities grow more slowly, both in the short and long run. Natural increase (~e excess of birds over deaths) accounts for about 60 percent of city growth today in developing countnes, and it is reasonable to expect that a decline in fertilizer levels will entail a decline in rates of natural increase in cities. Such changes reduce the demand for urban infras~uctural investments while eventually reducing the revenue base that supports such investments. The evidence on Chewer reduced national fertility levels reduce the rate of rural-url~an migration, and hence reduce He rate of grown of He proportion of He population that is urban, is unclear. A reduced rate of urban labor force grown in developing countries (most of which is a product of natural increase among the urban population) is not likely to be systematically accompanied by corresponding reductions in joblessness. However, it may increase He proportion of He urban labor force working in high-wage jobs in the modern sector of the economy and reduce He proportion working in the low-wage, infonnal sector.

88 POP CLARION GROWN AND ECONOMIC DEVEL()PMENT ENVIRONMENTAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS It is clear that the economic advantages of fertility reduction will vary from place to place. Environmental and climatic conditions clearly shape the local impact of population growth. In countries such as Bangladesh, where ratios of agricultural labor to arable land are already very high, there is a presumptive case that labor productivity in agriculture will decline more rapidly with added labor than if ratios were low. Nonagricultural production possibilities, and the opportunities for trade, also affect the importance of these natural features. Important as these natural features may be in conditioning the economic response to population growth, Hey appear to be far less important than conditions created by people. Many of the initial effects of population growth are negative, but they can be ameliorated or even reversed in the long run if institutional adjustment mechanisms are in place. Among the most important of such mechanisms are property rights in land and properly functioning markets for labor, capital, and goods. Such markets permit the initial effects of population growth to be registered in the fonn of price changes, which can trigger a variety of adjustments, including the introduction of other factors of production that have become more valuable as a result of the increase in population; a search for substitutes for increasingly scarce factors of production; intensified research to find production processes better suited to the new conditions; reallocation of resources toward sectors (e.g., food production) in which demand may be most responsive to population change; and so on. Of course, these adjustments may entail real costs, even when these are minimized by efficient institutions. When markets function very poorly, or do not exist, adjustments to population change are likely to be slower or to not occur at all. These are not merely theoretical notions. Some part of the current distress in Ethiopia, of the loss of 30 million lives during China's '~great leap forward" (Ashton et al., 1984), and of the problems of food production in tropical Africa during the 1970s was due to very badly functioning markets combined with rapid population grown. Even efficient markets do not guarantee desirable outcomes. The famines of 1942-1943 in Bengal and of 1973-1974 in Bangladesh seem to have been principally a result of deterioration in the income distribution-in particular, the loss of purchasing power by unskilled wage laborers-combined with speculative hoarding in food markets (See, 1981~. This kind of outcome underscores the role of the distribution of wealth and of human capital as a fundamental determinant of poverty. The potential value of government intervention for market regulation and for purposes of income distribution is widely acknowledged. Govemment policies in a variety of arenas clearly play important roles in mediating Me

CONCLUSION 89 impact of population growth. Effects of population growth on educational enrollment and quality, on rates of exploitation of common property resources, on the development of social and economic infrastructure, on urbanization, and on research activities are all heavily dependent on existing government policies and their adaptiveness to changed conditions. In short, the effects of rapid population growth are likely to be conditioned by the quality of markets, the nature of government policies, and features of the natural environment. Since the effects are so dependent on these conditions, a reliable assessment of many of the net effects of population growth can best be carried out at the national level, although some issues concerning the environment and resources can only be analyzed globally. It is of interest to briefly examine and contrast Me interplay between population grown and institutions in two important areas, China and tropical Africa. China, with its extremely low arable landlpopulation ratio, is often seen as greatly in need of population control policies in order to boost per capita agricultural income; this view is reflected in the government's severe disincentives for large families. Although it is possible Mat the resultant decline in the population growth rate has somewhat increased per capita agricultural income, these gains are probably small compared with those from agricultural reforms instituted in 1979. Over the period 1979-1984, the real per capita income of Me rural population increased 15 percent annually, and total agricultural output increased 51 percent (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1985; Li, 1985~. In contrast, tropical Africa has a comparatively high land/population ratio, but appears to be particularly vulnerable to problems induced by population grown. Political independence and He forces of modernization came to tropical Africa later than to other areas. Although some countries in other regions also share these traits, markets are generally least well developed in tropical Africa, political factionalism is greatest, and human resource potential is least developed. In parts of Africa, sparseness of population itself may be responsible for some of these difficulties, but this explanation is implausible for such countries as Ethiopia or Kenya Obviously, slowing population growth is not a substitute for solving other problems, but it can reduce some of the more extreme manifestations of these problems while they are being solved. SUMMARY Population growth can, and often does, trigger market reactions. Many of these reactions move a country in a '`modem" direction, that is, toward better~efined properq rights, larger integrated marked, more agocultum1 research, and so on. However, He market-induced adjustments to higher

go POP ULA77ON GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT growth do not appear to be large enough to offset the negative effects on per capita income of higher ratios of labor to other factors of production. Nor is population growth necessary to achieve these forms of modernization: the fact that rates of return to agricultural research are already extremely high-in bow developing and developed countnes-implies Mat Here is little need for additional stimulus from population growth; the evolution of property rights is stimulated by many factors~population grown being only one among Rem (Binswanger and Pingali, 1984~; and the scope of many markets can be enlarged by removing made barriers. That these over devices exist does not imply a minimal role for population grown, but it does caution against advocacy of growth as the only way to achieve them. On balance, we reach the qualitative conclusion Cat slower population growth would be beneficial to economic development for most developing counties. A rigorous quantitative assessment of these benefits is difficult and context dependent. Since we have stressed the role of slower population growth in raising per capita human and physical capital, it is instructive to use as a benchmark the effects of changes in the ratio of physical capital per person. A simple mode} suggests that the effect is comparatively modest. Using a typical labor coefficient of 0.5 in estimated production functions, a 1 percent reduction in the me of labor force growth would boost the grown of per capita income by 0.5 percent per year. ~us, after 30 years, a 1 percent reduction in the annual rate of population grown (produced, say, by a decline in Be crude bird rate from 37 to 27 per 1,0003 will have raised production and income per capita to a level 16 percent above what it would otherwise have been. This would be a substantial gain, but by no means enough to vault a typical developing country into Be ranks of the developed. This simple calculation, however, does not fully reflect the complexity of Be linkages between population growth and economic development. For instance, the production function would be expected to change in ways that reduce the advantages of slower population grown. We have reviewed considerable evidence, particularly in the agricultural sector, of how technology adapts to changes in factor proportions. In most places it is reasonable to expect slower growth in the labor force to reduce the intensity of adaptive response in the form of land improvement, instigation, and agricultural research. On the other hand, the calculation does not reflect increases in production due to the healthier and better educated work force Mat would result from lower fertility. Much more sophisticated models of production and fertility have been constructed with a variety of assumptions about the nature and intensity of relationships between economic and demograph* variables (see Ahlburg, 1985, for a thorough review). None of these models embodies the more

CONCLUSION 91 recent evidence on the nature and magnitude of effects that is included here, and we are not in a position to endorse any of the models. Careful scientific research is needed both to beuer quantify and to further elucidate most of the relationships discussed in this book. Research is especially needed on urbanization and the consequences of urban growth; savings and the formation of physical capital; the effect of population grown on health, education, and the development of human capital; and the nature and extent of extemalities of childbearing. Such research would be appropriately supported by mission-oriented development organizations as well as by basic research agencies. Whether the economic problems posed by population grown are large or small, and whether they are best approached by slowing the population grown rate, depends ultimately on the costs of alternative policy responses. We now turn to outline those responses. POLICY IMPLICATIONS: THE ROLE OF FAMILY PLANNING We have stressed that population growth can exacerbate the ill effects of a variety of inefficient policies, such as urban bias in the provision of infrastructure, direct and indirect food subsidies Hat distort agricultural markets, credit market distortions, and inadequate management of common property. A fundamental solution to these problems lies in better policies outside the population arena. However, some policies may be extremely resistant to correction, even over the medium to long term. Moreover, we have found some beneficial effects of slower population grown even in the presence of well-functioning markets and other institutions. Thus, there appears to be a legitimate role for population policy, providing its benefits exceed its costs. Although educational and health policies may have indirect effects on fertility, family planning programs have been the most conventional and direct instrument of government population policy. By family planning programs, we mean He provision of contraceptive services, together with information about contraception and child spacing. The total amount spent on family planning programs in 1982 was less than $2 billion, of which international assistance represents about $330 million (World Bank, 1984:148~. By companson, total official development assistance by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries was about $27.5 billion in 1983 Should Bank, 1984:252~. In most developing countries, family planning program expenditures represent less than 1 percent of the government budget. Government support for family planning programs can have an economic and social rationale quite apart from He effect of programs on rates of population growth. ~ many societies, individual control of reproduction

92 POPUlA77ON GROWIW AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT is considered a basic human right, similar in nature to good health or literacy. Lack of information about reproduction services and other services may constrain parents from achieving the* desired number and spacing of children. In such a situation, the supply of information and services will increase family welfare. Govemments can often supply information and services about reproduction more efficiently and cheaply than Me private sector, in part because large and risky investments are required and because some of Me benefits to consumers cannot be captured by the suppliers. In particular, valuable information can flow from person to person without any financial reward to the initial supplier: information about the consequences of childbearing is one example; the rhythm method is another. In this case, the private sector will underinvest in the provision of such services. The rationale for government support for family planning programs is similar to that for support of a variety of public health programs, as well as for agricultural research and extension services. F~ermore, when health services are provided by government, an additional rationale for government family planning programs is that the services can be efficiently supplied by existing health pet sonnet (World Bank, 1984~. Finally, family planning programs are likely to be of more value to lower income groups than to higher income groups, who may have beKer access to private services, so government support for these programs can help to advance equity goals If people use the services and information supplied by government family planning programs and if fertility falls as a result, an obvious case can be made that the program has increased the private welfare of users by reducing the cost of fertility control and by reducing the gap between desired and achieved fertility. This gain in private well-being is added to whatever other gains accrue on the national agenda from fertility reduction. The large fertility declines that occ~d in such countries as Mexico, Indonesia, and Thailand during the 1970s~eclines that were associated over time with intensified national family planning programs-suggest that private welfare gains from such programs are large. The large amount of unwanted childbearing in developing countries Mat was revealed by the World Fertility Survey (Boulder, 1985) suggests that such programs have considerable remaining potential to increase private welfare and reduce population growth rates. When national economic and social goals can be furthered by a reduction in fertilibr, the fact that family planning programs can achieve such reductions while increasing the well-being of users of these services accounts for milch of their Inactiveness as a policy instrument for governments in developing countries. A similar att~veness applies to removal of legal prohibitions against access to means of ferdlity control, prohibitions that pose serious obstacles to couples, reproductive behavior in many counties (Berelson and Lieberson, l979~. In sum, there is little debate about the desirability of

CONCLUSION 93 programs Hat allow couples access to easy, affordable, and effective means of family planning, even among Hose who see population growth as a neuter or even a positive influence on development (Wattenberg and Zinsmeister, 1985). When a couple's childbearing decision imposes external costs on other families-in overexploitation of common resources, congestion of public services, or contribution to a socially undesirable distribution of income- a case may be made for policies that go "beyond family planning." Such policies include persuasive campaigns to change family size norms and combinations of incentives and taxes related to family size. It is more difficult to make the case for He imposition of drastic financial or legal restrictions on childbearing. As noted above, such restrictions are likely to entail large welfare losses at the individual level; these losses would be hard to assess quantitatively, as are the possible social benefits of such restrictions. Because economic development is a multifaceted process, no single policy or single-sector strategy can be successful by itself. Thus, family planning programs by themselves cannot make a poor county rich or even move it many notches higher on the scale of development. However, family planning programs that enable couples to have the number of children they desire increase the private welfare of the people who use Heir services while reducing He burden on society of whatever economic externalities exist. And family planning programs are likely to increase He well-being of the users' children and to extend rawer Han to restrict personal choices. Thus, family planning programs can play a role in improving the lives of people in developing counties.

This book addresses nine relevant questions: Will population growth reduce the growth rate of per capita income because it reduces the per capita availability of exhaustible resources? How about for renewable resources? Will population growth aggravate degradation of the natural environment? Does more rapid growth reduce worker output and consumption? Do rapid growth and greater density lead to productivity gains through scale economies and thereby raise per capita income? Will rapid population growth reduce per capita levels of education and health? Will it increase inequality of income distribution? Is it an important source of labor problems and city population absorption? And, finally, do the economic effects of population growth justify government programs to reduce fertility that go beyond the provision of family planning services?

READ FREE ONLINE

Welcome to OpenBook!

You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

Show this book's table of contents , where you can jump to any chapter by name.

...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter .

Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

View our suggested citation for this chapter.

Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

Get Email Updates

Do you enjoy reading reports from the Academies online for free ? Sign up for email notifications and we'll let you know about new publications in your areas of interest when they're released.

Essay on Population Growth for Students and Children

500+ words essay on population growth.

There are currently 7.7 billion people on our planet. India itself has a population of 1.3 billion people. And the population of the world is rising steadily year on year. This increase in the population, i.e. the number of people inhabiting our planet is what we call population growth. In this essay on population growth, we will see the reasons and the effects of this phenomenon on our planet and our societies.

One important feature of population growth is that over the last century it has shown exponential growth. When the pattern of increase is by a fixed quantity, we call this linear growth, for example, 3, 5, 7, 9 and so on. Exponential growth shows an increase by a fixed percentage, for example, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and so on. This exponential growth is the reason our population has seen such an immense increase over the past century and a half.

Causes of Population Growth

To fully understand the phenomenon, in this essay on population growth we will discuss some of its causes. Understanding the reasons for such exponential growth will help us better understand how to plan for the future. So let us begin with one of the main causes, which is the decline in the mortality rate.

Over the last century, we have made some very significant and notable advancements in medicine, science, and technology. We have invented vaccines, found new treatments and even almost completely eradicated some life-threatening diseases. This means that people now have a much higher life expectancy than their ancestors.

Along with the decrease in mortality rate, these advancements in medicine and science have also boosted the birth rates. We now have ways to help those with infertility and reproductive problems. Hence, birth rates around the world have also seen massive improvements. This coupled with slowing mortality rates has caused overpopulation.

Often the lack of proper education is also stated as the culprit of rampant overpopulation. People around the world need to be made aware of the ill-effects of global overpopulation. Values of family planning and sustainable growth needs to be instilled not only in children but adults also. The lack of this awareness and education is one of the reasons for this growth in population.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Effects of Population Growth

This exponential population growth that our planet has experienced over the last 150 years has had some severe negative effects. The most obvious and common impact is that overpopulation has put a great strain on the natural resources of the earth. As we know, some of the resources available to us come in limited quantities, for example, fossil fuels. When the population explosion happened, these resources are becoming rarer and will one day run out completely.

The increased population had also lead to increased pollution and industrialization . This has adversely affected our natural environment leading to more health problems in the majority of the population. And as the population keeps growing, the poorer countries are running out of food and other resources causing famines and various such disasters.

And as we are currently noticing in India, overpopulation also leads to massive unemployment. Overall the economic and financial condition of densely populated regions deteriorates due to the population explosion.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

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?

Conclusion: Demographic Future of Human Society

• First Online: 23 May 2020

Cite this chapter

• Toshihiko Hara 8  

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Population Studies ((POPULAT))

268 Accesses

According to the UN Prospects 2019, the world population will grow from 7.7 billion to 10.9 billion, the growth rate is decreasing and nearly to 0 at around the end of this century for the latest. When observing the world population by decomposing it into 6 regions, it shows that the wave of the world population is composed of different waves and they are in different phases of demographic transition. Demographic transition is a historical process from high fertility and mortality in preindustrial society to low fertility and mortality in postindustrial society. It begins in the Western countries, Japan follows shortly after World War II and it is being found in many other countries of the world too. In Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, this process is significantly behind. Therefore, among these delayed countries, accelerating social capital formation helps to prepare the economic bases and enable individual decision-making on the number of birth (children), including the option of having no child, and on the timing of family formation. For the forerunner countries, to recovery from low fertility to replacement level, two possible measures can be proposed; (1) social support and guarantee for early marriage and childbearing, (2) social support and guarantee for late marriage and childbearing by using the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). The increasing social capital enlarges individual possibilities to artificially control their own lives and their own deaths. Our society can evolve to guarantee the human right not only to live but also to die according to one’s will. The recent tendency reflects this direction for death with dignity, mercy killing, and suicide. For the latecomer countries, the out-migration of working and reproductive population can promote fertility decline, weaken population growth, and prepare the demographic bonus, which accelerates the economic development. For the forerunner countries, the immigration of working and reproductive age population from latecomer countries helps to recover fertility and decelerate shrinking and aging of the society. It can contribute to keeping social demand and social production in the domestic market. We cannot greatly change the expected composition of the world population in 2100. The regional composition in the future may be beyond our present imagination. However, most of us are the successor of prehistoric immigrants who left Africa and belong to the integrated waves from past to future. The principle of a sustainable population will not be changed. We need to have a balance between the freedom of individual decision-making and the social control for births, deaths, and migration. At the same time, we must avoid Eugenics, Totalitarianism, and Discrimination which have happened in the past.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

The classification of the country groups are as follows; low-income economies (GNI per capita of $1,025 or less in 2018), lower-middle-income economies (GNI per capita between $1,026 and $3,995), upper-middle-income economies (GNI per capita between $3,996, and $12,375, high-income economies (GNI per capita of $12,376 or more) (World Bank 2019 ).

For statistical purposes, the data for China do not include Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR. Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan belong to high-income economies ($12,376 or more) (World Bank 2019 ).

With increasing economic disparity, a part of low-income groups can give up their decision-making to minimize the life course risk of childbearing/childcare.

In fact, this competition is also commonly found between citizens. Therefore, equal opportunity should be guaranteed between citizens and immigrants.

Asahi Shinbun (2018) Israel’s high fertility, its background? vitro fertilization by national insurance, (reported by Oka Watanabe on 23.4.2018). https://www.asahi.com . (articles)

Hara T (2008) Increasing childlessness in germany and japan: toward a childless society?. Int J Japanese Soc (IJJS) 17:42–64. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6781.2008.00110.x/abstract

Article   Google Scholar  

Hara T (2014) A shrinking society: post-demographic transition in Japan, Series: SpringerBriefs in Population Studies 2014, VI, 94 p 20 illus. ISBN 978-4-431-54809-6

Google Scholar  

Hayashi R (2017) Assisted Reproductive Technology and fertility. http://www.paoj.org/taikai/taikai2017/abstract/1153.pdf

Horiuchi S (2010) Major causes of the rapid longevity extension in postwar Japan. J Population Problems (JINKOMONDAIKENKYU) 66–3: 40–49

IPSS (2019) Jinko Toukei Shiryo Shu 2019 (Population Statistics of Japan 2019). www.ipss.go.jp/syoushika/tohkei/Popular/Popular2019.asp?chap=0 . Accessed 9.5.2019

Sato R, Kaneko R (2015) Japan in the post-demographic transition period: theoretical and empirical perspectives on the long-term population dynamics [Japanese]. J Population Problems, 71-2:65–85. http://www.ipss.go.jp/publication/e/jinkomon/pdf/20067301_25.pdf . Accessed 09.05.2019

Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2006) The historical statistics of Japan. 1 vol. Tokyo: Japan Statistical Association. English edition: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Statistics Bureau. 2012. http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chouki/index.htm . Accessed 30 Nov 2013

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017) World Population Prospects: The 2017 revision [Database]. Retrieved from (Note: All projections are based on the UN’s Medium Fertility Variant Projections). https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019a) World Population Prospects: The 2019 revision [Database]. Retrieved from (Note: All projections are based on the UN’s Medium Fertility Variant Projections). https://population.un.org/wpp/

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019b) World Population Prospects 2019: Ten Key Findings. https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_10KeyFindings.pdf

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019c) World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights. ST/ESA/SER.A/423. https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019d) World Population Prospects 2019: Methodological updates. https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Methodological-updates.pdf

World Bank (2019) World Bank Country and Lending Groups. https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups

WIKI (2019a) Assisted reproductive technology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_reproductive_technology

Wiki (2019b) Life expectancy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_expectancy

WIKI (2019c) European migrant crisis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_migrant_crisis

WIKI (2019d) Donald trump. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump#Political_activities_up_to_2015

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

(emeritus), Sapporo City University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan

Toshihiko Hara

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toshihiko Hara .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Hara, T. (2020). Conclusion: Demographic Future of Human Society. In: An Essay on the Principle of Sustainable Population. SpringerBriefs in Population Studies(). Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3654-6_6

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3654-6_6

Published : 23 May 2020

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-13-3653-9

Online ISBN : 978-981-13-3654-6

eBook Packages : Social Sciences Social Sciences (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Essay on Population Growth 500+ Words

India, a land of vibrant cultures and diverse landscapes, is also home to one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing populations. The topic of population growth in India is both a challenge and an opportunity. In this essay, I will argue that India’s population growth presents complex issues but also holds the potential for economic and social development.

The Magnitude of India’s Population Growth

India’s population has been steadily increasing for decades. It is currently the second-most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion people. The sheer magnitude of this growth raises questions about the country’s ability to provide essential services such as education, healthcare, and employment.

The Causes of Population Growth

Several factors contribute to India’s population growth. High birth rates, limited access to contraception in some areas, and cultural norms that favor larger families all play a role. Additionally, increased life expectancy has contributed to a growing elderly population.

The Challenges of Population Growth

One of the main challenges posed by rapid population growth is the strain on resources and infrastructure. India’s cities are experiencing overcrowding, traffic congestion, and a shortage of affordable housing. Healthcare facilities and schools are often stretched to their limits, impacting the quality of services.

Economic Opportunities

While population growth presents challenges, it also offers economic opportunities. A large and young workforce can be a valuable asset for a country’s development. India’s demographic dividend, with a significant proportion of young people, has the potential to drive economic growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The Importance of Education

To harness the economic potential of its population, India must invest in education. Access to quality education for all is crucial for developing the skills and knowledge needed for a competitive job market. Improvements in the education system can empower individuals to contribute to the nation’s growth.

Healthcare and Family Planning

Addressing population growth also involves improving healthcare and family planning services. Access to affordable healthcare, reproductive health services, and contraceptives can help individuals make informed decisions about family size. Public awareness campaigns can promote smaller, healthier families.

Sustainable Development

India’s population growth is intrinsically linked to sustainable development. Balancing economic growth with environmental conservation is vital. Sustainable practices in agriculture, water management, and urban planning can mitigate the negative impact of a large population on resources and the environment.

Expert Opinions

Experts emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to address India’s population growth. Investments in healthcare, education, and family planning are essential. Economist Amartya Sen has highlighted the importance of women’s empowerment and gender equality in reducing birth rates.

Conclusion of Essay on Population Growth

In conclusion, India’s population growth is a multifaceted issue that presents both challenges and opportunities. Managing this growth requires a concerted effort to improve healthcare, education, and family planning services. By harnessing its demographic dividend, India can promote economic growth and sustainable development while ensuring a better quality of life for its citizens. Balancing these aspects is the key to addressing the complex issue of population growth in India.

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

Essay on Population Growth in English for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Population Growth: Population growth today has become a serious matter of concern for the world. The world population has been consistently increasing at an alarming rate and is estimated to be around 7.7 billion in 2019. Uncontrolled population growth leads to rapid urbanization and depletion of resources. Natural resources that are pretty scarce in some parts of the world become scarcer due to increased consumption. Apart from depleting resources, a population increase means more buildings and factories come up and more tress fell and forests destroyed. It also puts an strain on the availability of basic amenities like health, education and welfare.

Fill Out the Form for Expert Academic Guidance!

Please indicate your interest Live Classes Books Test Series Self Learning

Verify OTP Code (required)

I agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy .

Fill complete details

Target Exam ---

Long and Short Essay on Population Growth in English

We have provided below short and long essay on population growth in English for your information and knowledge.

The essays have been written in simple yet effective English so that you can easily grasp the information and present it whenever needed.

After going through these population growth essay you will know what the effects of population growth on natural resources, what is the trend of population growth in different countries; advantages and disadvantages of population growth etc.

The information given in the essays can be used in school/college during speech giving, essay writing and other competitions.

Short Essay on Population Growth – Essay 1 (200 Words)

In today’s time the population has become one of the leading problems of world. It requires a quick and serious attention from all of us. The worst situation due to growing population now can be seen in many countries where people are struggling with shortage of food, shelter, pure water and also have to breathe polluted air.

Increased Population Affects the Natural Resources

This crisis is growing day by day and affecting completely our natural resources as more people results in more consumption of water, food, land, tree and also the fossil fuels badly impacting the environment in many ways. In current time, over population has become a curse to the existence of natural beauty. People are suffering from various diseases due to polluted air in environment.

Population may cause unemployment and also effects the economical development of any country. Due to consistently increasing level of population, poverty is also growing in many countries. People are bounded to live under limited resources and supplements. In many countries including India, population has crossed all its limits and as result we find high illiteracy level, poor health services and lack of resources in the rural areas.

Essay on Population Growth and Its Effects – Essay 2 (300 Words)

Introduction

Population of the World is increasing day by day and it is becoming a huge concern for the world. As per latest data, population is already crossed 7.6 billion in the world. Increase in population affects the economic, environmental and social development of the world.

Different Country with Different Population

Population growth is not uniform in all the countries of the World. Some Countries have high growth while some are having moderate or a very low increase in their population. It creates lot of challenges as countries with high growth are suffering with poverty, more expenses, unemployment, lack of fresh water, food, education, depletion of resources etc as a consequence of population explosion, while countries with low population growth have lack of manpower, an increased old to young ratio , hampering the Country’s growth.

Effects of Population Growth

Let’s see how population affects a country in various ways:

• Population increase results in more consumption of natural resources.
• Increased demand for everything while the production of the necessary items doesn’t keep up as population growth.
• Increase in unemployment, sometimes resulting in the youth’s misguidance towards other illegitimate methods of earning.
• Government has to spend more on basic necessities such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, irrigation, water etc while the revenue are not increasing as per population growth, so demand and supply difference is consistently increasing, resulting an increase in prices of items.
• Unemployment reduces the capacity of expenditure and families spent its saving on basic need and can’t afford the good education for their children. This results in low qualification and low chance of employment for children when they reach their working age. It affects the growth in economy and industrial expansion.

Population growth rate is needed to be controlled to save the World especially in those countries with faster growth rate. It will balance the system as manpower is required for the growth of country.

Essay on Population Growth is Good for a Country – Essay 3 (400 Words)

Though over population is a worldwide problem but still in some countries population is below the required rate which is also a serious issue as in those countries less people means less manpower to support and work for the development of that country. Over Population is definitely harmful for any country in many ways but it has some positive side too. Increased population leads to increase in manpower for a country where more people are easily found helping in the development of different sectors.

How Population Growth is Good for a Country?

Controlled population growth is also required for growth of the economy of any country. Let’s see how:

If population of a country is constant or is not increasing, it will create more old age people than the young people. That country will not have enough manpower to do the job. Japan is the best example as there government is motivating to increase the birth rate in an attempt to minimize the age gap. Second best example can be taken of China as 25 years ago here government implemented the rule of one child in a family. After few years when the growth rate of China started reducing and was having less young manpower, then recently they lifted this ban and allowed parents to have two children instead of one.

Population increase will create more manpower and more consumption of items required for basic / luxurious. More consumption means more industry growth to cater that consumption. More industry requires more manpower. Money circulation will improve and cost of living of the country will improve. People in the country will earn money and will educate their kids so that they can do work for the growth of country. Basically it all depends on the controlled growth of population. If population growth is higher than required, it will create problem of unemployment, poverty etc.

Over Population is always has negative impact on a country’s growth but controlled pollution growth is also required for a country to achieve success in many ways. Whether resources may be limited for over populated countries but extra manpower is definitely required for generating extra resources and making new inventions.

Essay on Population Growth in India – Essay 4 (500 Words)

Population is the count of the number of persons living in a particular region. It has reached an alarming rate in some countries. Over population can be due to many causes like illiteracy, improper knowledge of family planning, migration from different places.

India is the Second Highest Populated Country in World

According to survey this whole World is inhabited by around 7.6 billion humans among which a major part 17% of the total population of world is residing in India i.e. more than 125 crore people. Adding to this around 21% Indians are below poverty level as a result of uncontrolled population growth. This may lead to disastrous effects in future and thus it is required to control it in order to live a safe and healthy life.

According to Census of 2011, India’s population has crossed 121 crore and it is at second position after the China in the world. Presently this figure may have crossed 130 crore and in near future, it will surpass that of China China. India is facing a big challenge as population growth. It is adversely affecting India’s economical condition and also responsible for poverty and low living standard of people.

Government has to spend more to provide the basic things at the subsidized rate to cater to the massive population of below poverty line (BPL) consumers. As Government is providing subsidy on basic items, it is left with a minimal amount to be used in, developmental projects aiding to the growth in economy. Government has the fewer amounts to spend on social services such as education, hospital, housing, infrastructure etc which are essentially required for a progressive country. Therefore, a planned growth of our economy needs some effective check on population explosion.

Illiteracy is the Major Cause of over-Population

Illiteracy is the main cause in India for the population growth. People living below poverty line (BPL) are not aware of the consequence of this population growth owe to their illiteracy. People think that more children mean they will earn more money for the family without realizing its impact. Sometimes parents desire boy as they think that he will popular his name and family name. Sometimes they give birth to 3-4 girl children in the desire of single boy.

How Overpopulation causes Unemployment

Overpopulation is the main cause for the unemployment in India. We can see that for any examination or vacancy, millions applications are received. It increases the competition and sometimes people use the bribe to get the job. It also increases the corruption in the system which is India’s growing concern.

Role of Government for Controlling Population in India

Government has taken various initiatives to educate the people about the benefits of family planning. Some major steps are noted here:

• Government has amended the law and fixed the minimum age for marriage of boy and girl.
• Government is creating awareness among people about the importance of family planning, equality of boys and girls, by various advertisements on TV, posters in village etc.
• Government is promoting the education of child by taking minimum fees, providing free mid-day meal, free uniform, books etc.

To make a country developed and powerful every citizen of that country need to take step on his own end apart from blaming on others. Over population may be the biggest cause for the destruction of a nation. We must find out effective solutions to the problem in order to achieve success as a Nation.

Long Essay on Causes, Effects, Solutions of Population Growth – Essay 5 (600 Words)

At present situation the problem of overpopulation comes under the category of global crisis which is growing day by day and with each passing second. This essay is specially written for understanding the issues its causes, its affects and most importantly the solution.

Over Population: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Over population means an increase in the number of people in an area than the number, the resources of that particular area can sustain. Many causes are behind this problem some are:

Causes of Population Growth

• Growth rate of population is higher in developing countries. Reason for this increase is mainly due to lack of knowledge of family planning. Mostly people who are contributing for population growth are illiterate and living below of poverty line. They are also getting their child marrying at an early age without understanding its implication.
• Mostly people come from the rural areas to urban areas/city for the job opportunities or employment and improvement in life style. It creates imbalance in city and shortage of resources.
• Improvement in medical technology/treatment reduces the mortality rate for many serious diseases. A lot of chronic diseases or deadly viruses such as measles, small pox are being treated with the improvement in medical services.
• With the improvement in medical science, it has become possible for couple who are unable to conceive, to undergo fertility treatment methods and have their own babies. Moreover, due to awareness, people go to the hospital for routine checkups and delivery, which are safer for the mother and baby.
• As population increases, consumption of basic need such as food and water will also increase. However Earth can produce a limited amount of water and food, which is lesser in comparison to consumption, leading to an increase in prices.
• Forests are depleting to cater the growth of urbanization that is affecting animals in the forest, causing pollution and imbalance in ecology. Natural resources are depleting very fast due to overuse of coal, oil and natural gas etc. It is creating serious effects on our environment.
• With the increase in population, number of vehicles and industries has increased significantly; badly affecting the quality of air. Rise in amount of release of greenhouse gases causing global warming, which causes melting of ice from iceberg and glaciers. Changing climate patterns, rise in sea level are few of the consequences that we might have to face due to environmental pollution.
• Overpopulation has increased the acts of violence and aggression as people are competing with each other for getting resources and achieving good lifestyle.

Solutions to Protect Population Growth

• Developed countries are not facing problem of overpopulation as people in develop countries are educated and they are aware of consequences of having more kids. While in developing countries, people are not well educated and have no proper idea about family planning. If the education improves then they will understand disadvantage of having more than one or two children.
• In slum areas government has continuously provided some awareness programs to make understand families about the hard life they will have to face with four or five or more children. They also guide them about family planning and efficient birth control.
• Government should impose some restrictions/hard method to control the number of children per couple. Government should also provide some incentives or tax exemption to curb overpopulation.

To live a better life every family need to have proper family planning in manner to provide their kids complete nutritious food, proper shelter, best education and other important resources. A country can only get success when its citizens are healthy and live a happy and content life. Thus controlled population is the key to the success for every Country in the World.

Related Information:

• Essay on Population
• Essay on Family Planning in India
• Essay on World Population Day
• Speech on World Population Day
• Paragraph on Population
• Essay on Overpopulation in World

Related content

Talk to our academic expert!

Language --- English Hindi Marathi Tamil Telugu Malayalam

Get access to free Mock Test and Master Class

Register to Get Free Mock Test and Study Material

Offer Ends in 5:00

Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Conservation — Population Growth and Environmental Sustainability

Population Growth and Environmental Sustainability

• Categories: Conservation

About this sample

Words: 731 |

Published: Mar 25, 2024

Words: 731 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, population growth and its impact on the environment, conservation efforts: preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, renewable resources: a path to sustainability.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

• Expert in: Environment

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 685 words

4 pages / 1844 words

5 pages / 2102 words

1 pages / 393 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Conservation

As the world grapples with environmental challenges and the need for sustainable practices, conserving natural resources emerges as a paramount concern. Natural resources, the invaluable elements of the Earth that provide us [...]

The relationship between environmental conservation and economic growth is a complex and often contentious topic. On one hand, economic growth is seen as essential for prosperity and development, while on the other hand, [...]

In the vast savannah of the African pride lands, a remarkable story unfolds. The Lion King, an animated masterpiece, not only entertains audiences with its vibrant characters, stunning visuals, and unforgettable music, but also [...]

For centuries, zoos have been a popular way for people to observe and learn about exotic animals from all over the world. However, the debate over the ethics and morality of keeping animals in captivity has been a contentious [...]

Nowadays there are huge arguments between city development and conserving the past: some say old buildings should be replaced with modern buildings and shopping malls, because more money can be made from these developments. Some [...]

The earth’s forests are being depleted at an alarming rate, with an estimated 18 million acres of forest lost each year. The effects of cutting down trees are far-reaching and have a significant impact on the environment, [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates Essay

Introduction.

The rapid rise in population growth rates is an undeniable fact. Observed over the past several decades, the consistent increase in population on a global level has been a reason for multiple concerns. Mostly justified by resource scarcity and the increase in poverty rates, the specified concern has sparked ideas regarding population control as a response to the likely global emergency. However, since performing population control on a global level with sufficient consistency is not only challenging but also unethical, it needs to be avoided.

Currently, the concerns regarding the increasing rate of population growth have been voiced primarily by scientists. However, the adverse effects of overpopulation are visible even to uninitiated general audiences as the issue of resource scarcity is becoming increasingly more concerning (Andersson et al., 2021). Therefore, the rationale for global population control is evident and understandable. However, the specified idea may clash with some of the cultural and religious perceptions, therefore, creating breeding grounds for conflicts and controversies. Additionally, the lack of access to healthcare and, therefore, sex education, as well as the relevant birth control resources, is significantly restricted for a variety of disadvantaged groups globally (Andersson et al., 2021). Therefore, introducing a population control policy currently represents an endeavor that is not only ethically questionable but also nearly impossible. The U.S. cultural imperialism has been a subject of a rather contentious debate recently. On the one hand, the cultural impact of American society is undeniable, with the core trends within the global popular culture being driven by the U.S. media and entertainment (Muyskens, 2021). On the other hand, the propensity toward recognizing the importance of other cultures has been quite prominent in the global cultural landscape recently (Muyskens, 2021).

As a result, trends from and unique aspects of other cultures have emerged in the global cultural context lately (Muyskens, 2021). With the focus on global knowledge sharing and collaboration, as well as active cultural exchange, the traditions, beliefs, and ideas of other ethnicities and races can be represented in the global cultural landscape.

Andersson, H., Brandstedt, E., & Torpman, O. (2021). Review article: The Ethics of Population Policies . Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy , 1–24. Web.

Muyskens, K. (2021). Avoiding cultural imperialism in the human right to health . Asian Bioethics Review , 14 (1), 87–101. Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 26). The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-rapid-rise-in-population-growth-rates/

"The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates." IvyPanda , 26 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-rapid-rise-in-population-growth-rates/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates'. 26 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-rapid-rise-in-population-growth-rates/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-rapid-rise-in-population-growth-rates/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Rapid Rise in Population Growth Rates." February 26, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-rapid-rise-in-population-growth-rates/.

• How Overpopulation Affects Our Economy
• The Concept of Selective Breeding
• Overpopulation Effects on the Environment
• Overpopulation and Limit on Number of Children
• Overcrowding in Cities as Social & Environmental Problem
• Overpopulation: Is the Small World Getting Smaller?
• Managing Overpopulation in India and Caused Problems
• Overpopulation and Food Production Problem

Essay on Population Growth in India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Population Growth in India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

Introduction.

India, the second most populous country globally, has seen significant population growth over the years. This growth has both benefits and challenges.

Causes of Growth

Several factors contribute to India’s population growth, including high birth rates, declining mortality rates, and increased life expectancy due to medical advancements.

Impacts of Growth

Population growth affects various aspects of society. It can strain resources, increase unemployment, and exacerbate poverty. However, it also provides a large workforce, boosting economic growth.

In conclusion, while population growth presents certain challenges, effective planning and policy-making can turn it into an asset for the nation.

250 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

India, the second most populous country in the world, is experiencing explosive population growth. This growth, while indicative of improved health services, has significant repercussions on the country’s socio-economic fabric.

Causes of Population Growth

The primary cause of this surge is a decrease in mortality rates due to advancements in medical sciences and an increase in birth rates. Socio-cultural factors such as the preference for a male child, leading to larger families, also contribute.

Impacts of Population Growth

The burgeoning population exerts immense pressure on India’s limited resources, leading to issues like unemployment, poverty, and inadequate public health and education services. It also poses a severe threat to the environment due to overexploitation of natural resources.

Population Control Measures

India has implemented various population control measures like family planning and awareness programs. However, their effectiveness is often limited by socio-cultural barriers and lack of access to resources in rural areas.

While population growth signifies a healthy populace, it is imperative for India to check this growth to prevent socio-economic and environmental crises. This requires comprehensive strategies that address not just the symptoms but the root causes of population growth, including societal norms and access to resources.

500 Words Essay on Population Growth in India

India, the second most populous country in the world, is experiencing significant population growth. With over 1.3 billion people, the demographic changes in India are influencing its social, economic, and environmental dynamics. This essay explores the causes, implications, and potential solutions to the population growth in India.

The primary cause of India’s population growth is the decline in death rates. With advancements in healthcare and technology, life expectancy has improved, leading to a larger ageing population. Furthermore, despite efforts to promote family planning, the fertility rate remains high in many regions, particularly in rural areas. This is due to a lack of education, socio-cultural norms, and limited access to contraception.

Implications of Population Growth

The population surge in India brings both challenges and opportunities. On one side, it places immense pressure on resources such as water, food, and land. Rapid urbanization and the subsequent strain on infrastructure, including housing, sanitation, and transportation, are notable issues. Additionally, it exacerbates environmental degradation and climate change.

On the other hand, a large population signifies a vast labor force, which, if harnessed correctly, could propel economic growth. However, this demographic dividend can only be realized if the population is healthy, educated, and skilled, which is a challenge in itself given the current state of India’s public services.

In response to the population growth, the Indian government has implemented several measures. Family planning programs, awareness campaigns about contraception, and efforts to improve women’s education and empowerment have been at the forefront. However, these initiatives have not been uniformly successful across the country.

The Way Forward

Addressing population growth requires a multifaceted approach. Firstly, it is essential to improve the quality of education and healthcare, particularly in rural and marginalized areas. This includes comprehensive sex education and easy access to contraception to enable informed family planning decisions.

Secondly, empowering women through education and employment opportunities is crucial. Women who are educated and economically independent tend to have fewer children and invest more in their wellbeing, contributing to a decline in population growth.

Finally, it is vital to foster sustainable development and resource management to mitigate the environmental impact of population growth. This includes promoting green technologies, sustainable agriculture, and efficient use of water and energy.

India’s population growth is a complex issue with deep-rooted socio-cultural, economic, and environmental implications. While it presents significant challenges, it also offers opportunities if managed effectively. A combination of education, healthcare improvement, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development can help India navigate its demographic transition and harness its potential demographic dividend.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on National Festivals of India
• Essay on My India My Pride
• Essay on Life in an Indian Village

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Population Explosion Essay

500+ words population explosion essay.

Population explosion means a sudden increase in the number of individuals in a particular species. The term is used to refer to the world’s human population. In India, the Population explosion has become a severe matter of concern because the increase in population leads to poverty and illiteracy. In this situation, it is difficult to cope with the economy of the country with the rapid growth of the population. The Government of India is now looking into the matter seriously, and many states have framed laws to tackle the problem of population explosion.

Major Causes of Population Explosion

1. increase in birth rate.

One of the major causes for the growth of the population is the high birth rate. During the 1891-1990 period, the birth rate declined from 45.8 per thousand in India, but it is still considered high. So, unfortunately, in India, the birth rate has not seen a decrease in spite of the framing laws in terms of family planning, population education, campaigns, etc.

2. Decrease in Death Rate

In recent years, the decrease in the death rate has been another factor contributing to the rapid growth of the population. In 2001, the death rate in India was about 8.5 per thousand. The death rate has seen a decrease due to advancements in the medical field. For example, chronic diseases like typhoid, chickenpox, etc., are no longer dreaded. Even the infant mortality rate has decreased because of proper sanitation facilities, cleanliness, and better prenatal and postnatal care.

3. Early Marriage

Early marriage is also an essential factor in the rapid increase in population. In India, the marriage age of a girl is 18, which is very low compared to other countries, which is about 23 to 25 years. It leads to a longer span of reproductive activity.

4. Religious and Social Reasons

In India, marriage is considered a compulsory social institution, and every person should marry. Every individual in a joint family takes equal responsibility and has access to an equivalent level of consumption. So, people don’t hesitate to increase their family size to a joint family. In India, most people think that one male child is necessary, and in the expectation of getting a male child, they increase their family size.

Another major cause of the population explosion is poverty. In most families, children become the source of income. From a very young age, children start working for their families instead of going to school, and they become a precious asset to the family. So, every individual becomes an earning member and additional income for the family.

6. Standard of Living

It is seen that people with a low standard of living wish to have additional children as it will be an asset for them rather than a liability. As we know, most of India’s population is uneducated, so they don’t understand the importance of family planning. They are unaware that they can enjoy a better quality of life with a small family.

7. Illiteracy

In India, 60% of the population is either illiterate or has minimum education, which leads to minimal employment opportunities. So, due to the high illiteracy rate and belief in social customs, child marriage and preference for a male child still prevail. As a result, there is a rapid population growth rate in India.

Effects of Population Explosion

1. the problem of unemployment.

An increase in population leads to a vast army of the labour force. But, it is difficult to employ such extensive labour working force due to a shortage of capital resources. Disguised unemployment in rural areas and open unemployment in urban areas are fundamental features of an underdeveloped country like India.

2. More Pressure on Land

Overpopulation creates more pressure on land. It adversely affects the economic development of the country. On the one hand, per capita availability of land goes on diminishing and on the other, the problem of subdivision and fragmentation of holdings increases.

3. Environmental Degradation

Extensive use of natural resources and energy production of oil, natural gas, and coal negatively impacts the planet. An increase in population also leads to deforestation, which directly affects the environment, and it also degrades the soil’s nutritional value and causes landslides and global warming.

So, at last, we can wrap up the essay by stating that overpopulation is considered one of the biggest challenges humanity faces.

Students can also get different essays by visiting BYJU’S website. We have compiled a list of crucial CBSE Essays from an exam perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions on Population Explosion Essay

How can population explosion be controlled.

Awareness campaigns on childbirth control and the gap between consecutive children should reach the common public. It is necessary to take such initiatives to keep the population of a country in control.

Which country has the highest population?

China is a country with a maximum population of about 1.448 billion citizens.

How is the younger generation affected due to this population explosion?

The resources which are meant exclusively for the younger generation get split and are divided due to the population explosion of a country.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Counselling