Malthusian theory was developed by Thomas Malthus in the 18th century. This theory says the population grows at an exponential rate, but food production grows at an arithmetic rate. A balance between population increase and food supply can be established through preventive and positive checks. The population becomes double in 25 years and the food supply would be lower for the increasing population and that will be sufficient for a few years. Then, the shortage of food supply will increase. Thus, people will die because of food shortages.
Additionally, because of scarcity, epidemics, wars, starvation, famines, and other natural calamities occurrences cause the death of many people, which causes population control. It is called a positive check of population control. Malthus claimed that nature has its way to control the increasing population at the limit of the human capacity for food supply. He describes that late marriage, self-control, and simple living are the preventive measures that also help the growth of the population.
Malthus proposed that technological advancements could enhance a society’s resource supply, such as food, and consequently elevate the standard of living. However, the increased availability of resources would lead to population growth, ultimately returning the per capita resource supply to its original level. Some economists argue that since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century, humanity has escaped this predicament.
Conversely, others assert that the persistence of widespread poverty suggests that the Malthusian trap is still in effect. Moreover, some argue that developing countries exhibit more signs of the trap due to limited food access and excessive pollution than in developed nations. Overpopulation is a related modern concept to Malthusian-theory.
The Neo-Malthusian Theory is the improvement of the traditional concept of the Malthusian Theory of population growth.
Criticism Malthusian Theory
This theory has been criticized because of the four causes.
- The population and food production were equally rising because of technological development in Western Europe.
- Many times food production increased faster than population growth.
- Malthus claimed food production is limited to limited agricultural land for food production but many countries have increased their food supply because of globalization.
- The exact figure of geometric growth of population and athematic rate of food production is not given by Malthus. It is not consistent.
The importance of Malthusian theory of population growth is that it helped to be aware of exponential population growth and the limitation of food supply. In many developing countries mostly in Africa, a large number of children are dying of starvation.
