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Essay on Population Explosion for Students in English

• Updated on  
• Mar 8, 2024

On this page, we will discuss an essay on population explosion. Population refers to the number of people living in a particular area. For example, if 20 million people are living in Delhi, it means the population of Delhi is 20 million. However, population explosion refers to the sudden increase in population. Population explosion causes a burden on Earth’s natural resources, as the planet can only sustain a limited population. 

Table of Contents

• 1.1 Causes of Population Explosion
• 1.2 Impact of Population Explosion
• 1.3 Strategies and Policies to Address Population Explosion
• 2 10 Lines Essay on Population Explosion

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Overpopulation is by Far the Worst Kind of Pollution – Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Long Essay on Population Explosion

‘Population explosion refers to the sudden and drastic increase in population. Population explosion is associated with the time of rapid population growth, generally caused by factors such as high birth rates, reduced mortality rates, improved healthcare, and advancements in technology. In India, the period from 1951 to 1981 is referred to as the period of population explosion. During this period, the annual growth rate was 2.2 percent.

Causes of Population Explosion

Several factors are responsible for the population explosion in a country. 

High Birth Rate

The high birth rate is one of the major causes of the population explosion. From 1951 to 1981, India’s population increased from 31 crore to 71 crore. This was mainly because of higher birth rates in both rural and urban areas. When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, there is an increase in population.

Reduced Mortality Rates

India’s current mortality rate is 9.45 deaths per 1000 inhabitants. With the advances in healthcare, sanitation, and medical technology, there is a decrease in mortality rates. It means the number of deaths per 1000 population is reduced and more people survive to reproductive age, leading to population growth.

High Level of Illiteracy

India’s current literacy rate is 77.7%. However, from 1951 to 1981, when there was a sudden increase in population, the literacy rate was only 18.33%. It was the low literacy rate during this period that resulted in a population explosion in India.

Religious and Social Factors

In several places, religious and social factors are responsible for population explosion. Some communities and religion’s beliefs promote large family size and contraception, impacting birth rates.

Early Marriage

The rapid increase in population is often associated with early marriage. In India, the legal marriage age for men is 21 and for women is 18. Early marriage results in a longer span of reproductive activity. In developed countries, the legal marriage age is generally 21 years or above. 

When people migrate to different cities or countries, it impacts population growth. For example, immigration to urban areas can contribute to population explosion in those regions.

Gender Inequality

Societies with gender inequality experience higher birth rates, as women have limited control over family planning decisions. Societies with restricted women’s rights lack control over their bodies and decisions about childbirth. This can lead to unwanted pregnancies and higher fertility rates.

Also Read: Essay on Peer Pressure for Students

Impact of Population Explosion

Nature is the first victim of population explosion. As the global population increases, the demand for resources increases. From depletion of natural resources to economic crises, population explosion affects society as a whole.

Depletion of Natural Resources

With the increased human population, the demand for natural resources such as water, land, forests, and minerals increases. Overexploitation of these resources will eventually deplete natural ecosystems and disrupt ecological balance.

Deforestation

Humans need land to build houses. With increasing population, the need for land increases and there is only limited land available on Earth. This will result in deforestation as forests will be cleared for human settlement, agriculture, and infrastructure development. This will result in habitat loss for many plant and animal species.

Increased Unemployment and Poverty

An increase in population means a large number of workforce. However, there are not sufficient employment opportunities to sustain everyone. This will result in increased unemployment and poverty.

Increased Air and Water Pollution

Air and water pollution are the results of human activities. Increased population density is associated with increased industrialization and urbanization. This will result in increased air and water pollution. The release of toxic substances in water and air pollutes these life-saving resources. 

Waste Generation

The increase in population leads to increased waste generation. Inadequate waste management can result in pollution of land, water bodies, and the atmosphere, posing threats to both human and environmental health.

Also Read: Green Revolution Essay in 100, 200 and 500 Words in English

Strategies and Policies to Address Population Explosion

Implementing realistic strategies and policies that promote sustainable population growth, improve reproductive health, and ensure the well-being of individuals and communities can surely help with population explosion. 

Promotion of Family Planning Programmes

Easy access to family planning services like contraceptives and reproductive health education can be of great help to deal with population explosion. People must understand the importance of family planning and make civilised decisions.

Education and Women Empowerment

Investing in education and the empowerment of women can help build a just society. Women must become aware of the population explosion and its consequences. The promotion of gender equality will ensure that women have equal opportunities in education, employment, and decision-making.

Enhanced Healthcare Facilities

A strong healthcare system provides essential maternal and child health services, including antenatal care, safe childbirth, and postnatal care. However, people must have easy access to healthcare services to address issues related to maternal mortality and morbidity.

Public Awareness Campaigns

Public awareness campaigns can help with family planning and making informed decisions about having children. Media platforms and the internet can help raise awareness about reproductive health and family planning.

Global Cooperation

Overpopulation or population explosion is not a regional issue. Eventually, it will affect the world as a whole. Therefore, global cooperation is essential to address the population explosion. Moreover, it can create a platform where people from different backgrounds can put creative and innovative ideas to address the population explosion.

10 Lines Essay on Population Explosion

Here is a 10-line essay on population explosion.

• Population explosion is the sudden increase in the population of a region or a county.
• In India, the period from 1951 to 1981 is known as the period of population explosion.
• Its causes are high birth rates, reduced mortality rates, and improved healthcare.
• Rapid population growth places immense pressure on natural resources, leading to environmental degradation.
• Family planning programs play a crucial role in addressing population explosion by promoting responsible reproduction.
• Education and empowerment, particularly for women, contribute to informed family planning decisions.
• Economic development and poverty reduction are linked to lower fertility rates.
• Population explosion can result in resource depletion, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity.
• Public awareness campaigns are essential to destigmatize family planning and promote its acceptance.
• Sustainable development requires a balanced approach to address both human needs and environmental conservation.

Ans: ‘Population explosion refers to the sudden and drastic increase in population. Population explosion is associated with the time of rapid population growth, generally caused by factors such as high birth rates, reduced mortality rates, improved healthcare, and advancements in technology. In India, the period from 1951 to 1981 is referred to as the period of population explosion. During this period, the annual growth rate was 2.2 percent.

Ans: Population explosion means the sudden and drastic increase in he human population of a city, region, or country.

Ans: The decades from 1951 to 1981 are known as the people of population explosion in India.

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With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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• v.5(4); 2013

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

J. van bavel.

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

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

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

The evolution of the world population in numbers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Causes of the explosion: the demographic transition

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

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

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

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

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

Scenarios for the future

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

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

Declining fertility

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

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

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

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

Child mortality, education and family planning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Population momentum

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

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

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

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

Consequences of the population explosion

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

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

Poverty and famine

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

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

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

Impact on the environment

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

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

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

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

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

7 Billion and counting… What is to be done?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Essay On Population Explosion

Table of Contents

Short Essay On Population Explosion

Population explosion refers to the rapid growth of the human population, particularly in developing countries, resulting in a strain on resources and the environment.

Causes – The main causes of population explosion are improved medical care, increased food production, and declining death rates.

Consequences – The consequences of population explosion include food and water scarcity, environmental degradation, and increased competition for resources.

Overcrowding – Overcrowding is a major problem in many cities, leading to increased crime rates, traffic congestion, and a decline in the quality of life.

Strain on resources – The rapid growth of the population puts a strain on resources such as water, food, and energy, leading to higher prices and decreased access for many people.

Environmental degradation – The rapid growth of the population also contributes to environmental degradation, such as deforestation, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity.

Solutions – To address the population explosion, governments and organizations must promote family planning and education, improve access to birth control and reproductive health services, and invest in sustainable development practices.

In conclusion, population explosion is a complex issue with far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities, and the planet. Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach that includes improved access to family planning services, education, and sustainable development practices.

Long Essay On Population Explosion

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Essay on Population Explosion: Problems And Solutions for Class 10, 12 and Mains Exam

Essay on population explosion: problems and solutions for class 10, 12, mains exam (upsc, psc, ssc).

Introduction: ‘Population explosion’ or overpopulation refers to the rapid increase in the number of people living in an area. The rapid growth of population results from the high birth rate and the low death rate. India is the most populous country after China. It is the second most populated country in the world.  According to the 2021 census the current population of India is 1,400,000,000. Almost 500 people occupy an area of a square meter (2011 census). Over population is affecting the function of the Indian economy. As a result, the well being of people is being affected. In a state of population explosion, the economy of the country fails to provide the basic amenities to the people. Population explosion paves away to various social evils in the society. The masses remain in a state of poverty and unemployment due to which they engage in theft and robbery.

Conclusion: It is high time to check the growth rate of human population. Population explosion is hindering the economic and the social progress of the country. Government of India has already taken important measures to slow down the population growth. However, some are not aware of the serious consequences of population growth. It is immensely essential to awaken awareness among the people and control population explosion.

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Demography — The Population Explosion: Causes and Consequences

The Population Explosion: Causes and Consequences

• Categories: Demography Population Population Growth

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Published: Jan 29, 2019

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Distribution of food production, improve public health, conquest of disease.

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Essay on Population Control

Students are often asked to write an essay on Population Control 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 Control

Understanding population control.

Population control refers to the measures taken by governments or other groups to manage the size of a human population. This is often done to prevent overpopulation, which can strain resources and harm the environment.

The Need for Population Control

Overpopulation can lead to scarcity of resources like food, water, and shelter. It can also increase pollution and contribute to global warming. Therefore, controlling population growth is crucial for sustainable living.

Methods of Population Control

Methods include education about family planning, providing access to contraception, and implementing policies that limit family size. These measures can help achieve a balanced population.

250 Words Essay on Population Control

Introduction.

Population control refers to the practice of intentionally managing the number of inhabitants in a region to mitigate social and environmental issues. Rapid population growth can strain resources, intensify poverty, and exacerbate environmental degradation.

The Necessity of Population Control

Population control can be achieved through various strategies. Family planning and education, particularly for women, are effective methods. They empower individuals with knowledge about reproductive health and birth control, enabling them to make informed choices. Government policies can also play a significant role, such as providing incentives for smaller families or implementing laws to limit family size.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations

While population control is necessary, it raises ethical questions. It’s imperative that any measures respect individual rights and freedoms. Forced sterilizations or coercive population control policies infringe upon human rights and should be avoided.

In conclusion, population control is a complex yet necessary endeavor. It requires a careful balance of education, policy implementation, and respect for individual rights. By managing population growth, we can work towards a sustainable future where resources are used efficiently, and the environment is preserved.

500 Words Essay on Population Control

Population control refers to the strategies employed by governments and organizations to manage the size of human populations. This is often necessary to prevent overpopulation, which can strain resources and lead to socio-economic problems. However, population control is a complex issue with ethical, political, and environmental implications.

Overpopulation is a significant global concern. It puts immense pressure on natural resources, exacerbating environmental degradation and climate change. With the current rate of population growth, the demand for resources like food, water, and energy is rapidly outpacing supply. This imbalance can lead to resource depletion, environmental pollution, and an increase in diseases due to overcrowding.

Population control strategies vary based on cultural, political, and economic contexts. One common method is family planning, which includes contraceptive use, sterilization, and abortion services. Governments often promote family planning through public awareness campaigns and by providing access to contraception.

Another approach is implementing policies that incentivize smaller families. These can include tax benefits, priority in public services, and educational scholarships for families with fewer children.

Challenges in Population Control

Second, there are gender issues. In some societies, women bear the brunt of population control measures, often facing coercion into sterilization or contraception use.

Third, there are socio-cultural barriers. In many cultures, large families are valued, and attempts to limit family size can be met with resistance.

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Population Explosion Essay For Students and Children in 1000 Words

In this article, you will read “Population Explosion Essay” for students and children in 1000 words. It includes meaning, causes, effects, and control tips about population explosion.

Table of Contents

Population Explosion Essay (1000 Words)

Population explosion has been a major concern in some countries. For India , it is in a continuous dramatic phase.

Some proper majors can play important roles in this major issue. You will find them right here, within this content. 

Population Explosion Meaning

In an area, the number of people increases over time. When it gets a boost within a few calendar days, this is something major to focus on.

However, things were different in the past. Due to the revolution in industries, IT departments, finance sectors, and all other economic points, cities have become the centres of attraction. With 

Population Explosion in India

Those were tough times to survive these deadly epidemics. Medical science wasn’t that popular with certain permanent cures.

Causes of Population Explosion

The term population explosion or overpopulation signifies a lot of reasons . Each human has the authority to claim the natural resources of the earth.

1. Falling Mortality Rate

The reduced number was 4.1 million. It was like half of the population had managed. 

2. Underutilised Contraception 

With the steady fall of the global fertility rate, the numbers are still not enough to control overpopulation. In the 1950s, a woman gave birth to five children on average. As per today’s calculation, the average value is 2.4.

3. Lack of Female Education

With higher possibilities, a woman should know her priorities in family planning. However, this mindset or education process is not that simple to conduct.

Effects & Consequences of Population Explosion

More people increase higher demands for water, food, housing, healthcare, energy, transportation, and more.

1. Increased Conflicts

2. ecological degradation .

With the increasing rate of population, the creation of pressure on ecological sections is obvious.

3. Higher Risk of Pandemics and Disasters 

The growing number of people provokes many devastating pandemics. The human world has witnessed a lot of tough situations, such as COVID-19, Ebla, Zika Virus, West Nile Virus, Spanish Flu, and much more. 

Population Explosion Control Tips

Combo efforts can make a huge change. They are about spreading awareness and reducing myths or false beliefs in your mind.

Population Explosion and Birth Control

An artificial method is there to prevent pregnancy after a consequence of sexual intercourse. Its name is contraception.

A few practises are necessary to promote the prevention of population explosion. With the right use of awareness and birth rate control, prevention will be easier. 

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Population Explosion and Population Control

According to the Census Act 1948, for every ten years, the census is conducted in India to count the total population in our country.

The last census was conducted in the previous year in 2021, and the next census will take place in 2031.

In terms of population, India ranks in second position.

The government takes various measures in India to reduce the speed of population explosion.

In this chapter, let us learn more about population, population explosion, effects of increasing population and various measures taken to control population growth.

What is Population?

A group of all living organisms of a particular species existing in a specific geographical area, at one particular time with the capability of interbreeding, is called population.

According to the 2021 census, the current population of India is 1.4 billion.

What is Population Explosion?

A rapid increase in the population is known as a population explosion.

The two causes of population explosion are:

• Increase in the birth rate.
• Decrease in the death rate.

An increase in population is directly related to the birth rate. The population in India is rising at a considerable speed, which results in various problems, including social, economic and environmental.

Effects of Increasing Population

Increasing population has many adverse effects on our environment.

Listed below are the significant effects of increasing population:

• Increase in slum areas.
• Rise in unemployment and underemployment.
• Eradicating poverty and hunger becomes more difficult.
• Providing better health and education facilities becomes more difficult.
• This can lead to less availability of land, water, food and other necessary resources.
• An increase in population may lead to the unavailability of food grains due to the excessive demands of people.
• Overexploitation of water and other natural resources results in no scope of replenishment, which is a recipe for a natural disaster.
• Increasing population increases air and water pollution, leading to an increase in diseases, which ultimately leads to a rise in expenditure on healthcare.

Measures to Control the Population Explosion

Control measures can be broadly classified into the direct method and indirect method.

The direct method includes:

• Focus on family planning measures.
• Providing free education and advice to the people.
• Strictly follow the minimum age criteria of marriage.

The indirect method includes:

• Female empowerment.
• Improvement in quality of life.
• Positive attitudes towards women’s rights in sexual relationships.

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Student Essays

Essay on Population Explosion- Impacts & Ways to Control it

An increase in population is one of threatening issues of developing world. The south Asian countries are quite vulnerable to the dangers of population explosions. The following short & Long Essay on Population Explosion talks about meaning and concept of population explosion, what are the impacts of increase in population and further how the population increase can be contained or stopped. This essay is very helpful for children and students for their school exams.

Essay on Population Explosion- Meaning, Concept, Impacts & Ways how to Control it

Population Explosion refers to the rapid and dramatic increase in world population that has taken place over the last few hundred years. In a short period of time, the world’s population has tripled, and is now close to 7 billion people. The sheer size of the world’s population is having a profound impact on our planet, and its resources.

The term “population explosion” was first used in the early 1960s, when the world’s population reached 3 billion. At that time, people were becoming increasingly alarmed at the rate at which the world’s population was growing. In the 50 years since then, the world’s population has doubled, and is now estimated to be over 7 billion.

>>>> Read Also:   ” Essay on Violence against Women “

Impacts of Population Explosion:

The rapid growth of the world’s population is having a number of negative impacts on our planet. Here are some of the key impacts:

Food and water shortages: The world’s population is growing faster than the ability of our planet to produce food and fresh water. This is causing food and water shortages in many parts of the world.

Climate change: The growth of the world’s population is causing increased greenhouse gas emissions, which is contributing to climate change.

Environmental degradation: The growing population is putting increasing pressure on our planet’s resources, leading to deforestation, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity.

Social and economic instability: Rapid population growth can lead to social and economic instability, as people compete for scarce resources.

Poverty and inequality: The poorest people in the world are the most affected by population growth, as they have the least access to food, water and other resources.

Solutions to Population Explosion:

There is no one “solution” to the problem of population explosion, but there are a number of things that can be done to mitigate its impact. These include:

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: This can be done through measures such as increasing energy efficiency, and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.

Improving food production: This can be done through initiatives such as organic farming, and improving access to irrigation and fertilizers.

Reducing poverty and inequality: This can be done through measures such as providing access to education and health care, and supporting economic development.

Promoting family planning: This can be done through initiatives such as increasing access to contraception, and sex education.

>>> Read Also: “ Essay on My Aim in Life ”

The world’s population is growing at an alarming rate, and this is having a profound impact on our planet. While there is no one “solution” to the problem of population growth, there are a number of things that can be done to mitigate its impact. It is essential that we take action now to reduce the negative impacts of population growth, and ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

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Population Stabilization & Birth Control: Definition & Methods

A dramatic increase in population size over a relatively short period is called a population explosion. The world population, which was around two billion in the nineties, rocketed to more than 6 billion by the twenties. According to the census report of 2021, the population growth rate was still around 1.7%. If the same rate is maintained further, the population could double in the upcoming 33 years. Since the carrying capacity of the earth and the resources available on the earth are limited, it is necessary to control the present rate of population growth. Population stabilization is the key to maintaining the population growth rate by adopting certain birth control methods. What are the different birth control methods and strategies that lead to population stabilization ? Let’s read the article to find out the answers to the questionnaire about population stabilization and birth control.

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Population Explosion and Population Stabilization

An exponential increase in the size of a human population within a small time period is called a population explosion . On the other hand, population stabilization refers to the static population size over a definite period.

Natality & Natality Rate: An increase in the number of individuals in a population under given environmental conditions is called natality . An increase in the number of individuals per unit time is called the natality rate.

Mortality & Mortality Rate: The loss of individuals due to death in a population under given environmental conditions is termed mortality . It is expressed as a mortality rate , indicating the number of individuals dying over a period.

Based on natality and mortality rate, the population explosion and population stabilization can be summed up as follows:

Natality Rate> Mortality Rate = Population Explosion

Natality Rate = Mortality Rate? Population Stabilisation

Effects of Population Explosion

There are the following effects of population explosion:

• Environmental degradation is caused due to overpopulation.
• Population explosion results in the depletion of natural resources.
• Every individual will not be able to get a good occupation due to the population explosion that is associated with poverty and a poor lifestyle.
• An exponential increase in the population leads to poor health due to the lack of nutrition and other resources.

What is the Need of Population Stabilization?

The National Population Policy came into existence in February 2000 with the objective of population stabilization in India. It also deals with fulfilling the needs of contraception and providing integrated services for child health care and maintaining a good basic reproductive health of a person. The need for population stabilization can be listed as follows:

• At present, India hosts about 17% of the world’s population, which is far much higher than the surface area available for the population. Since only 2.45% of the global surface area is available for habitants, therefore population stabilization is necessary to avoid non-eco-friendly activities, like deforestation.
• Moreover, the population size is extremely large compared to the water resources. An estimated percentage of usable water is about 1% that is extremely less for the large population. Population stabilization is therefore required to fulfill the water requirements of populations that serve as a basis of our life.
• Population stabilization is also essential to maintain the good reproductive health and body health of a person.

Challenges Associated with Population Stabilization

The following main challenges get in the way to achieve the goal of population stabilization:

• Literacy and Education: Illiteracy among people promotes early marriages that not only increase the likelihood of more children but also put a woman’s reproductive and body health at risk. Beyond this, lack of education negatively impacts family planning as the people will not understand the importance and long-term effects of family planning that are not only restricted to the individual’s family but also to the entire community.
• Social-Economic Factors: Preference of a male child can also be considered as the biggest challenge for population stabilization. There is a misconception in society that a male child will only run the family from an economic and hereditary perspective. While running behind this misconception, people never realize that it not only drastically increases the birth rate and adversely affects the reproductive health of women.
• Inadequate use of contraceptives: The contraceptive prevalence rate is less than 10% in most of the Northern states. Females in Northern states and villages are still giving birth to four and more children. Moreover, they do not rely on the modern methods of contraception and rely only on traditional contraceptive methods that are not much successful in achieving the goal of population stabilization.

Birth Control Methods – A Goal to Population Stabilization

Definition: The regulation of conception by preventing methods or devices to limit the number of offspring is called birth control. A wide range of contraceptive methods is efficiently practised by couples to bring population stabilization into reality. These are discussed as follows:

Fig: Devices and Strategies used for Birth control

Fig: Methods of Birth Control

1. Natural Methods or Traditional Methods: Natural methods work on the principle of avoiding chances of ovum and sperm fusion. These include the following methods:

I. Periodic abstinence: It involves refraining from coitus from day 10 to 17 of the menstrual cycle when ovulation could be expected to its great extent. As chances of fertilization are very high during this period, it is called the fertile period. Therefore, abstaining from coitus during this period could prevent conception. It is also called the rhythm or calendar method.

II. Coitus interruptus or withdrawal: It is the clinical term for the withdrawal of the penis from the vagina of a female partner prior to ejaculation to prevent the discharge of semen into the vagina and thereby to prevent fertilization. The method is not reliable as a small amount of pre-ejaculate will come out of the penis that contains sperm and can cause a pregnancy.

III. Lactational amenorrhoea: Mothers who breastfeed usually skip their menstrual period for some time after birth. Skipping periods during breastfeeding is called lactational amenorrhoea. During lactational amenorrhoea, women are less likely to get pregnant, though the possibility exists. However, this method has been reported to be effective only up to a maximum period of six months following parturition.

IV. Monitoring Body Temperature: The body temperature takes a slight dip just before ovulation and then rises later. Hence by monitoring temperature during ovulation days can give an idea of ovulation, and the intercourse can be avoided. But this method is practically not possible as there may be several other reasons for the fluctuation in body temperature.

V. Monitoring changes in Cervical Mucus: It is based on the fact that mucus secreted by the cervix gets thin and increases in quantity a few days before ovulation. Avoiding sexual intercourse during these days could prevent contraception.

2. Barrier Methods: These methods prevent coming closer to the ovum and sperms by putting a barrier in between that cannot be penetrated through sperms. Different types of barriers are as follows:

I. Contraceptive sponge: It is a disc-shaped gadget that is made up of polyurethane foam. It contains spermicides that block the entry of sperm into the uterus and kill the sperm. It is placed deep inside the vagina of a female to cover the cervix. The vaginal muscles hold it in a place. Before placing it into the vagina, it should be soaked in water to activate the spermicide.

II. Diaphragm, Cervical caps, and vaults: These are cup-shaped (diaphragm, cervical caps) or dome-shaped (vaults) devices that are inserted deep into the female reproductive tract to cover the cervix during coitus. These are made up of rubber or latex. These are smeared with spermicide before their use. These must be kept for about six hours after sexual intercourse. These devices are reusable.

III. Condoms: These are the barriers made of thin rubber or latex sheath. A female condom (also called femidom) is worn by the women inside their vagina to prevent the entry of sperms. The male condoms are rolled over the erect penis and prevent the entry of sperm into the vagina of females. These also check the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including AIDS, gonorrhoea, etc.

Fig: Different Types of Barriers used in Birth control

3. Chemical Methods: These are also called hormonal methods. Pregnancy can be terminated by interference with ovulation, implantation, etc. Chemical methods involve the introduction of sex hormones that favours the conditions that are not suitable for contraception and fertilization. These are of the following types:

I. Oral Contraceptive pills: These are birth control pills that are taken by mouth to prevent pregnancy. Most birth control pills contain small doses of either progesterone or progesterone-estrogen combination. These synthetic hormones are synthetic versions of naturally occurring female hormones. Based on their hormonal composition, these can be categorized as follows:

i. Mini Pills (Consists of progesterone only): Saheli

ii. Combined Pills (Consists of progesterone-estrogen combination): Mala D, Mala N.

Pills can reduce the pregnancy rate by up to 1%. These pills carry out the following roles towards birth control:

i. These pills prevent ovulation by inhibiting the secretion of FSH and LH from the anterior pituitary.

ii. These pills inhibit implantation and alter the cervical mucus to prevent the entry of sperms.

iii. Pills reduce the risk of ovarian cysts, breast lumps, pelvic inflammatory diseases, and other medical problems. However, the risk of heart and blood-related diseases increases in a few women.

Vaginal pills are also used to prevent ovulation. These pills dissolve in the vagina and release spermicides that kill sperms. D-1 Norgestrel is an example of a vaginal contraceptive pill that is mostly used.

II. Contraceptive patch: A skin patch is worn on the lower abdomen that causes the discharges of progesterone and estrogen into the circulatory system to prevent the discharge of eggs into the fallopian tubes. It also thickens the cervical fluid, prohibiting sperm and egg fusion.

III. Injection: Certain contraceptive pills such as progestin 1 in combination with estrogen hormone are given as an injection under the upper arm skin. The mode of action is similar to that of pills, but they remain effective for a longer duration. They can prevent pregnancy for 4 years.

IV. Vaginal ring: It is a thin ring that discharges progesterone and estrogen. It suppresses the ovulation and thickens the cervical bodily fluid, which prevents the attaching of the sperm to the egg. It is commonly called NuvaRing.

4. Implantable Devices: These are the devices that are implanted in the body and left for a couple of years to prevent pregnancy. A few implantable devices can be discussed as follows:

I. Implantable rod: It is scientifically named Implanon rod. A matchstick-sized rod is put under the upper arm skin and releases progesterone to inhibit ovulation. It also thickens cervical fluid to suppress the fusion of gametes.

II. Intrauterine devices (IUDs): These are small devices made of metals or plastics that are inserted by a medical professional into the uterus and start immediate action to control pregnancy. These devices either contain copper or a common synthetic hormone used in contraceptive pills. Following are the examples of intrauterine devices:

I. Copper-releasing IUDs: CuT, Cu7, Multiload 375

II. Hormone-releasing IUDs: Progestasert, LNG-20

IUDs promote phagocytosis of sperms within the uterus and repress the sperm motility and the fertilization capacity of sperms. These devices can prevent pregnancy for 5-10 years.

5. Surgical Methods: Surgical methods are also called sterilization . Surgical intervention blocks gamete transport and thereby prevents conception.

I. Vasectomy: A vasectomy is a surgical procedure performed on males in which the vas deferens (tubes that transport sperms from the testes to the seminal vesicles) are cut, tied, or otherwise interrupted. The semen no longer contains sperms after the tubes are cut, and so conception cannot occur. The testicles continue to produce sperms that die and are absorbed by the body.

II. Tubectomy: In tubectomy, a small part of the fallopian tube is removed and tied up through a small cut in the abdomen through the vagina. Laparoscopy is a modern method that is now used in tubal ligation. This blocks the fallopian tube. The eggs continue to produce but fail to pass into the uterus, and the sperms fail to reach the eggs for fertilization.

Medical Termination of Pregnancy

Intentional termination of pregnancy before the full time of gestation is called medical termination of pregnancy or induced abortion . Termination of pregnancy has been practised since time immemorial. In India about 10-12 million abortion takes place annually, resulting in thousands of maternal death. Under Medical Termination Pregnancy Act , 1971, the termination of pregnancy can be done in a pregnant woman up to 20 weeks.

The National Family Welfare Programme was launched in India in 1951 with the objective of reducing the natality rate to the extent necessary to stabilize populations at a constant.

Exponential growth has been observed in the human population nowadays. This increase in population not only exploits our environment and their natural resources but also affects the healthy lifestyle of humans. A balance between the natality rate and mortality rate of a population leads to population stabilization which in turn brings a healthy lifestyle. Humans are highly civilized people that can maintain a standard population size by calculating the overall birth and death rate and accordingly can apply certain birth control methods . Some of these methods involve periodic abstinence, use of barriers (condoms, diaphragms, etc.), intake of contraceptive pills, and surgical methods.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Population Stabilization & Birth Control

Q.1. What is population stabilization? Ans: Population stabilization is the state when the birth rate and the death rate becomes equal and the population size remains unaltered.

Q.2. What are the four types of birth control methods? Ans: Birth control methods include: 1. Natural methods (periodic abstinence, coitus withdrawal). 2. Barrier Methods (Diaphragm, Condoms, Intrauterine devices). 3. Chemical methods (Contraceptive pills) 4. Surgical methods (tubectomy, vasectomy)

Q.3 What does birth control do? Ans: Birth control prevents ovulation, implantation of fertilized eggs and thereby prevents pregnancy.

Q.4. What are the benefits of tubectomy? Ans: Tubectomy ensures that there will be no further pregnancy. It does not cause hormonal imbalance and other health risks that are caused due to the intake of contraceptive pills.

Q.5. What are the types of intrauterine devices? Ans: Intrauterine devices are of two types: 1. Copper-releasing IUDs (Copper T) 2. Hormone-releasing IUDs (progestasert)

We hope you find this article on ‘Population Stabilization & Birth Control ‘ helpful. In case of any queries, you can reach back to us in the comments section, and we will try to solve them. 

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Essay on Population for Students and Children

500+ words essay on population.

Population refers to the total number of beings living in a particular area. Population helps us get an estimate of the number of beings and how to act accordingly. For instance, if we know the particular population of a city, we can estimate the number of resources it needs. Similarly, we can do the same for animals. If we look at the human population, we see how it is becoming a cause of concern. In particular, the third world countries suffer the most from population explosion. As it is the resources there are limited and the ever-increasing population just makes it worse. On the other hand, there is a problem of low population in many regions.

India population crisis

India faces a major population crisis due to the growing population. If we were to estimate, we can say that almost 17% of the population of the world lives in India alone. India ranks second in the list of most populated countries.

Furthermore, India is also one of the countries with low literacy rates. This factor contributes largely to the population explosion in India. It is usually seen that the illiterate and poor classes have a greater number of children. This happens mainly because they do not have sufficient knowledge about birth control methods . In addition, more people in a family are equals to more helping hands. This means they have better chances of earning.

Moreover, we also see how these classes practice early marriage. This makes it one of the major reasons for a greater population. People marry off their young daughters to men way older than them for money or to get free from their responsibility. The young girl bears children from an early age and continues to do so for a long time.

As India is facing a shortage of resources, the population crisis just adds on to the problem. It makes it quite hard for every citizen to get an equal share of resources. This makes the poor poorer and the rich richer.

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

Impact of Population Explosion

Subsequently, pollution levels are on the rise because of the population explosion. As more and more humans are purchasing automobiles, our air is getting polluted. Moreover, the increased need calls for faster rates of industrialization. These industries pollute our water and lands, harming and degrading our quality of life.

In addition, our climate is also facing drastic changes because of human activities. Climate change is real and it is happening. It is impacting our lives very harmfully and must be monitored now. Global warming which occurs mostly due to activities by humans is one of the factors for climate change.

Humans are still able to withstand the climate and adapt accordingly, but animals cannot. This is why wildlife is getting extinct as well.

In other words, man always thinks about his well-being and becomes selfish. He overlooks the impact he is creating on the surroundings. If the population rates continue to rise at this rate, then we won’t be able to survive for long. As with this population growth comes harmful consequences. Therefore, we must take measures to control the population.

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Population Explosion Essay | A Critical Analysis | Causes | How We Can Work Together

With over 7.8 billion people on the planet, it’s no secret that we are facing a critical issue that needs immediate attention. The rapid increase in population has many negative consequences ranging from environmental degradation to social and economic challenges. Here we are providing short and long population explosion essay in English for your knowledge and information. After going through this essay, you will explore the causes and consequences of population explosion, as well as offer some solutions for how we can work together to address this pressing issue. The essay will be extremely useful in your school /college assignments where you have to write an essay, give speech or take part in a debate competition.

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What is Population Explosion?

In simple terms, population explosion is defined as the rapid increase in human population over a short period of time. The global human population has exploded in the last century, growing from 1.6 billion in 1900 to more than 7.6 billion today. This rapid growth is largely due to advancements in medical care and technology that have led to longer life spans and higher fertility rates. While the world’s population continues to grow at an alarming rate, the availability of resources is not keeping pace. This imbalance between people and resources is causing major problems around the world, including overcrowding, poverty, and environmental degradation. The term “population explosion” was first coined by British demographer Aurel Wilberforce Stott in his 1944 book The Control of Life. In it, Stott warned of the dangers of unchecked population growt h and called for measures to be taken to reduce birth rates. While his predictions about the future were somewhat exaggerated, they did bring attention to the issue of population growth and its potential impact on society. Over the next few decades, as the world’s population continued to grow rapidly, other experts began to echo Stott’s concerns. In 1968, American biologist Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb, which warned of mass starvation and societal collapse if immediate action was not taken to curb population growth. Ehrlich’s book sparked a worldwide debate on the issue and helped raise awareness of the problem of overpopulation. Since then, much has been done to try to address the issue

The Causes of Population Explosion: Understanding the Factors Behind Rapid Population Growth

Advances in medicine and healthcare services:.

The world population has been growing rapidly over the past century, primarily due to advances in medicine and healthcare services. Breakthroughs in medical technology and improved access to healthcare have significantly increased life expectancy, allowing people to live longer and contributing to population growth. As more individuals survive into old age, the overall population continues to expand.

Decrease in Infant Mortality Rates:

Another important factor contributing to population explosion is the decrease in infant mortality rates. Many countries have implemented programs focused on reducing infant mortality by improving healthcare, nutrition, and sanitation. These efforts have led to more children surviving infancy and reaching adulthood, thus contributing to the overall growth of the population.

Urbanization and Migration:

Increased urbanization has played a significant role in the population explosion. As people migrate from rural areas to cities in search of better economic opportunities and improved living conditions, they often have fewer children. However, due to the sheer number of individuals migrating, the overall population in urban areas continues to increase. This migration-driven growth adds to the global population growth.

Cultural Norms and Family Planning:

Cultural norms and values can influence family planning decisions and contribute to population growth. In some cultures, having large families is considered desirable or necessary for economic reasons, social status, or traditional beliefs. These cultural factors can lead to higher fertility rates and contribute to population expansion.

Agricultural Practices and Food Production:

Improvements in agricultural practices and food distribution systems have played a significant role in sustaining larger populations. Increased food production, advancements in farming techniques, and enhanced distribution networks have helped feed growing populations. Adequate food supply has enabled more individuals to survive and thrive, further contributing to the global population growth.

The Consequences of Population Explosion: Examining the Impacts of Rapid Population Growth

Strain on resources and rising prices:.

As the population grows, the demand for resources like food, water, energy, and raw materials increases. However, the limited availability of these resources leads to scarcity, higher prices, and competition for access. This can create social and economic instability, food shortages, and conflicts over resources.

Environmental Degradation and Climate Change:

The rapid population growth contributes to environmental degradation. Deforestation, pollution, and overuse of natural resources are common consequences. These activities harm ecosystems, wildlife, and contribute to climate change. Climate change poses serious threats to the planet’s sustainability and impacts weather patterns, agriculture, and overall environmental health.

Strain on Infrastructure and Services:

The increasing population puts pressure on infrastructure such as housing, transportation, healthcare facilities, and schools. Meeting these demands becomes challenging, leading to overcrowding, inadequate services, and strain on existing infrastructure. This can result in poor living conditions, insufficient access to healthcare and education, and limited public services.

Healthcare Challenges and Limited Access:

With a growing population, healthcare systems face challenges in providing adequate services. The demand for healthcare facilities, trained professionals, and resources increases. However, limited access to quality healthcare, particularly in developing regions, can result in inadequate healthcare services, compromised public health, and higher disease burdens.

Poverty, Inequality, and Unemployment:

Population explosion can worsen poverty levels and widen socio-economic disparities. The competition for resources and jobs can lead to lower wages, unemployment, and income inequality. Marginalized communities often bear the brunt of these consequences, facing difficulties in accessing education, healthcare, and basic needs.

Urbanization Issues and Overcrowding:

As the population grows, more people move from rural areas to cities in search of better opportunities. This rapid urbanization can result in overcrowded cities, slums, and strains on urban infrastructure and services. Issues like inadequate housing, insufficient water supply, sanitation problems, and transportation challenges become more prevalent.

Education Constraints and Quality:

The increasing population creates pressure on the education system. Schools and educational institutions may struggle to accommodate the growing number of students, leading to overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, and compromised education quality. This can hinder educational development and limit future prospects for individuals and society as a whole.

Cultural and Social Transformations:

Population explosion can bring about cultural and social changes within communities. Traditional practices, social norms, and community structures may undergo transformations as population growth influences lifestyles, values, and intergenerational dynamics. These changes can have both positive and negative impacts on societal cohesion, cultural heritage, and community well-being. To tackle the consequences of population explosion, we need to take comprehensive actions. This means managing resources in a sustainable way, preserving the environment, implementing fair socio-economic policies, investing in infrastructure, enhancing healthcare systems, and ensuring everyone has access to good education and job opportunities.

How We Can Work Together to Address Population Explosion

Education and empowerment for informed choices.

To address population explosion, education plays a crucial role. By educating people about family planning and contraception methods, individuals can make informed decisions about the timing and number of children they want. Promoting gender equality is also important, as women with higher education levels tend to have fewer children. Empowering women through education, healthcare access, and job opportunities allows them to have control over their reproductive choices.

Reducing Infant Mortality for Family Planning

Reducing infant mortality rates is a significant step in addressing population growth. When parents have confidence that their children will survive into adulthood, they tend to choose to have fewer children. Therefore, improving healthcare systems and ensuring access to quality healthcare for infants and children is crucial in encouraging family planning and population control.

Government Policies for Sustainable Population Management

Government policies can contribute to population control by implementing strategies such as tax incentives for smaller families or penalties for larger families. These policies help create awareness and incentivize individuals to consider family planning while ensuring that social welfare programs remain sustainable.

Addressing Poverty for Sustainable Development

Poverty is a driving factor behind high birth rates due to lack of access to basic resources like food, healthcare, and clean water. By addressing poverty levels globally, we can promote sustainable development and create a more balanced society. Improving access to resources and opportunities, including education and healthcare, can help break the cycle of poverty and contribute to population stabilization.

Promoting Sustainable Practices for Environmental Preservation

The population explosion has led to increased resource demand and environmental degradation. To prevent further damage to our planet, we must adopt sustainable practices. This includes reducing waste and emissions, conserving energy and water resources, and supporting renewable energy initiatives. Individuals can make a difference by making small changes in their daily lives, such as using reusable bags and containers. Governments also play a vital role in enacting policies that promote sustainability and holding corporations accountable for their environmental impact.

Education and Collective Action for Environmental Awareness

Education plays a critical role in raising awareness about the importance of preserving our planet’s natural resources. By educating ourselves and others about environmental issues, we can take informed action to mitigate them. It is essential for individuals, governments, and corporations to work together towards a sustainable future. Through collective effort, we can ensure that future generations inherit a healthy and thriving planet.

Population explosion is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention from individuals, governments, and organizations worldwide. The causes of this phenomenon are complex and multifaceted, but the consequences are dire if left unaddressed. We must work together to find solutions to population growth through education, family planning programs, and sustainable development initiatives. It is time for us to realize that our actions have consequences on the planet’s health and take responsibility for them. Ultimately it is up to us how we want our future generations to experience life on Earth. Do we want them struggling with basic necessities or enjoying a healthy environment? It’s high time to act now before it’s too late!

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• 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.

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• Table Of Contents

Modern humankind can never return to the way of life that characterized most of human evolution . Settled agriculture and, to an even greater extent, urban living have irrevocably altered natural, finely tuned patterns of human reproduction. New social and artificial restraints on fertility must replace high infant mortalities and the invisible but important physiological controls that once limited family size. The variables that encourage small families are still not fully understood, but they include urbanization, educational and employment opportunities for women, and easy access to family planning services. In a traditional agricultural society children bring hope of economic rewards to their parents at an early stage by sharing in the work that is necessary to support the family, whereas in modern industrial societies the care and educating of children represent long years of heavy expenditure by the parents. This switch in the cost of children may be the most important factor determining the adoption of family planning.

Recent News

Western societies took more than a century to reach zero population growth and adjust to the rapid expansion of population that accompanied their industrialization. Most of the changes that occurred in patterns of family planning took place before public family services were established and at considerable emotional and physical costs to many couples. By contrast, the majority of the governments of contemporary less-developed countries have established national family planning policies and actively encourage the use of public family services. The World Fertility Survey shows that more couples in less-developed countries desire small families than actually achieve their goals.

The significance of the choices facing policymakers and individual families can be illustrated by reference to trends in family planning in the People’s Republic of China. For a generation after the Revolution of 1949 national leaders maintained that a Communist economy could accommodate any rate of population growth, and family planning services, while available, were not emphasized. As a result of the rapid population growth in the 1950s and ’60s, however, the number of marriages in China soon exceeded by 10 million each year the number of fertile partnerships broken by death or by the onset of the woman’s menopause . In an attempt to stabilize the population, the Chinese government instituted a policy with the goal that 50 percent of rural couples and 80 percent of urban couples have only one child. The application of this type of policy had an ironic effect on individual women: older women belonged to a generation that could not always obtain birth control services, and younger women were encouraged or in some cases even forced to abort pregnancies they wanted to keep. In the first decade of the 21st century, however, the low birth rate and the increased size of China’s aging population led to some relaxation of the one-child policy , which officially ended in 2016.

Although consensus has not been reached on the range of birth control methods society should offer to individual members, the right of couples to determine the number and spacing of their children is almost universally endorsed , while the possibility of coercive family planning is almost as widely condemned. Throughout the world, awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of specific methods of birth control, thoughtful judgments about ethics , and further evolution in medical and scientific knowledge will continue to be important to the welfare of the family, of individual countries, and of the entire globe.