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Malthusian Theory of Population, given by Thomas Robert Malthus, is a theory of arithmetic growth of food supply and of exponential population. Malthus believed that, through positive and preventive checks, a right balance could be struck between the supply of food and the growth in population. In this article, we will discuss the Malthusian theory of population, its elements, importance, and the criticism offered to the theory.
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Keyterms: Population, food, elements, demography, reduction, food supply, environment, death rate, exponential growth, starvation, epidemics, floods, earthquakes, war
What is Population?
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The total number of individuals of a species in a given area at any given moment is referred to as a population. The study of the human population is known as demography.
The human population has increased dramatically over the years and this rapid growth is known as exponential growth. The human population was roughly 0.6 million in 1700, 3.5 billion in 1965, 6.1 billion in 2000, and 7 billion in 2011.
This growth in population has been caused by many factors as follows:
(i) Prolonged life expectancy
(ii) A reduction in the death rate
(iii) The importance of reproductive and child health programs
(iv) Disease prevention and control
(v) Medical facility improvements
(vi) Agricultural advancements, improved food storage conditions, and improved transportation facilities
(vii) Protection against natural disasters and
(viii) Opposing views to family planning.
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What is the Malthusian Theory of Population?
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In the year 1798, T.R. Malthus, a British economist, proposed a hypothesis of human population growth. His theory states that
(i) Population growth is geometric, i.e. 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32..........., whereas food supply for subsistence can be arithmetic, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7................
(ii) Over time, there would be an imbalance in the people and the environment.
(iii) When the population imbalance reaches a particular point, certain causes such as starvation, epidemics, floods, earthquakes, war, and other natural disasters will bring the population back to the desired level.
The term for this population drop is "catastrophic population control". Malthus referred to these variables as "positive checks."
To Quote His Own Words:
“By nature, human food increases in a slow arithmetical ratio, the man himself increases in a quick geometrical ratio unless want and vice stop him. The increase in numbers is necessarily limited by the means of subsistence. Population invariably increases when the means of subsistence increase, unless prevented by powerful and obvious checks.”
This can be summarised as:
The human population rises exponentially, according to the birth rate, and the food supply grows at a slower rate. There will be a limit and a lack of food if the population continues to grow. The scarcity of food is also a sign of a rising population. If unchecked, the economy, the environment, the government, and the entire infrastructure of numerous social institutions will be put under strain.
A simple example is that in a family if every member reproduces, the family tree will continue to grow, but food production grows at an arithmetic rate, meaning that it only increases at specific times. A population would overrun its resources if left unchecked, according to the hypothesis.
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Major elements of Malthusian Theory
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The Malthusian theory has four important or critical aspects that are described below:
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Population and Food Supply
According to the Malthusian theory, the population grows in a geometrical pattern. At this rate, the population would double in 25 years.
The food supply, on the other hand, grows in an arithmetic progression. The rate of increase in the food supply is slower than the rate of rising in population.
That is, in a few years, the food supply will be limited. The scarcity of food suggests that the population is growing.
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Checks on Population
Disequilibrium arises when the pace of population growth exceeds the rate of food supply. Epidemics, wars, hunger, famines, and other natural disasters would occur, which Malthus refers to as "positive checks". As a result, individuals will be unable to obtain even enough food to survive and can ultimately perish due to this scarcity. On the contrary, there exist preventative checks that are man-made.
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Positive Checks
Positive checks affect population growth by causing the death rate to rise. Positive population controls are numerous and include any cause, whether stemming from vice or unhappiness, that contributes in any way to reducing the natural lifespan of humans.
Positive checks, such as plagues, wars, and famines, would kick in if preventive checks were not applied successfully. Unhealthy employment, hard labor, seasonal exposure, extreme poverty, poor child care, common diseases, wars, plagues, and famines are all examples of positive checks. They all reduce human life expectancy and raise the death rate.
As a result, the population would be decreased to a level that could be sustained by the food supply available.
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Preventive Checks
Preventive checks, the ones performed by humans, have an impact on population growth by lowering the birth rate.
Preventive controls are the result of man's foresight, which allows him to recognize long-term implications. He observes the distress that afflicts folks with large families on a regular basis and believes that having a large number of children will inevitably diminish the family's standard of life. He may believe that if he has to sustain a large family, he will have to put up with even more hardships and strenuous labor than he does now.
He may also not want to expose his children to poverty or charity as a result of his incapacity to provide for them. These factors may compel a man to limit his family. Preventive checks used by men to limit the family include late marriage and self-restraint during married life.
Criticism of Malthusian Theory of Population
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The Malthusian theory has been criticised for its principles since its beginning. The following is a list of some of the criticisms leveled at the theory.
- Malthus made pessimistic predictions about future economic situations based on population growth. Contrary to popular belief, the human population has not grown significantly, and food production has increased as a result of technological advancements in the agricultural and food sectors. The human population's living standards have improved.
- Food production would not be able to keep up with population expansion due to the operation of diminishing returns in agriculture, which was one of the key supporting factors for Malthus' theory. Recent technological breakthroughs, combined with huge capital investments in the agriculture industry, have been able to delay the stage of decreasing returns. Agricultural expansion has been aided by the use of high-quality seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, and high-quality machinery. The Green Revolution in India is one of the best instances of this characteristic. Improved farming methods and new technology have expanded food production to the point that it can sustain a growing population.
- According to Malthus, fertile lands utilized for food production are limited in supply, which is why food production will never be able to keep up with population growth. However, he never considered the various forms of food production when calculating the population number.
- England did have a scarcity of agricultural land, and if the kingdom had to rely on farming to support its inhabitants, famines would have resulted. That was not the case, as the country's diverse natural resources, such as coal and iron, were used to produce items that were sold to other countries in exchange for food during the industrial revolution. When it came to sustaining a burgeoning population, Malthus made the mistake of focusing solely on agriculture and food production.
- Malthus did not offer estimates for arithmetic food growth or geometric population increase. Experts in the field nowadays have pointed out that the growth rates in both cases contradict Malthus' predictions.
Importance of Malthusian Theory of Population
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- There are certain aspects of the Malthusian idea that are worth considering. Humans are driven by a strong urge to procreate. This is to ensure that the family's genealogy and history are preserved. As a result, if birth control measures are not implemented, the population will continue to expand fast.
- To some extent, Malthus' ideas about positive checks are correct. History has proven that anytime a country's population grows, thousands of people die as a result of natural disasters.
- After considering these points, it is possible to conclude that the theory is valid to some extent. Some of the most prominent economists of our time have remarked that Thomas Malthus indicated the partial truth in this population growth theory, which no one can deny.
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Things to Remember
- Neo-Malthusianism advocates that in order to protect the environment and resources for present and future human populations and other species, human population control must be followed.
- In the United Kingdom, the name 'Malthusian' may also apply to arguments in favor of contraception, as evidenced by groups like the Malthusian League.
- Neo-Malthusians are distinguished from Malthus' views mostly by their support for contraception.
- Compared to Malthus, the modern neo-Malthusians are more concerned with catastrophic starvation & environmental deterioration than with poverty.
- According to Malthusian theory, the rate of increase in the human population outpaces that of the means of sustenance, such as food, clothes, and other agro-products.
- Because the agro-product output is slower, population expansion outpaces it, resulting in the advent of poverty.
- Controlling population increase is critical for population sustainability.
- Positive checks help to re-establish the equilibrium between population expansion and food availability.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What is Malthusian theory and why is it important? (1 mark)
Ans. According to the Malthusian idea, the human population expands faster than the food supply until famines, wars, or sickness diminishes the population. Over the last three centuries, he believed, the human population has increased.
Ques. What is Neo-Malthusian theory, and what does it entail? (2 marks)
Ans. The arrival of Neo Malthusian population control programs to assure resources for present and future populations is Neo Malthusian. The world's population is rapidly increasing. By 2050, the population is expected to reach 9.9 billion people.
Ques. State the criticism for the Malthusian theory. (3 marks)
Ans. The Malthusian theory was criticized as:
- Malthus did not offer estimates for arithmetic food growth or geometric population increase.
- According to the theory, the non-availability of land led to a shortage of food. However, due to increased globalization, the food supply has increased in many countries.
- There have been many times where food production has surpassed population growth.
- Despite the rising population in Western Europe, the food supply also increased due to the advancements in technology.
Ques. Is the Malthusian population hypothesis still relevant today? (5 marks)
Ans. Despite the fact that the theory has been criticized since its inception, it does apply to overpopulated countries. India is one such case, for the following reasons:
- The population of India is increasing at a rate of 2.3 percent per year.
- Despite the Green Revolution, India continues to import millions of tonnes of food grains due to population expansion and food shortages.
- In India, 39% of the population lives below the poverty line.
- Indians have a life expectancy of 60 years, which is lower than that of other countries.
- The death rate is 11 per 1000 people, indicating that natural disasters such as floods, diseases, and famine are still a threat.
Not just in India, but also in Africa's impoverished countries, population growth is outpacing food supplies, resulting in hunger fatalities. As a result, the Malthusian hypothesis applies to countries where population growth is higher, food supply is lower, and natural disasters are not controlled.
Ques. What is the Malthusian Trap? (3 marks)
Ans. The Malthusian Trap, sometimes known as the "Malthusian Population Trap," is the concept that modern agricultural practices have boosted food supply, which is one of the causes for increasing population numbers. This, in turn, leads to food shortages as a result of the increased demand for grains to feed the expanding population.
Even while technological progress should lead to increases in per capita income, according to Malthus, these benefits are not realized since the practice of utilizing contemporary technology also leads to population expansion. When a population grows faster than the food supply can keep up, a Malthusian catastrophe, such as famine or disease, occurs, increasing the death rate and shrinking the population.
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