Article 07

Population Growth in the Digital Age: 

Population Growth, Technology & Global Population Trends.

"I think it will be found that experience, the true source 
and foundation of all knowledge, invariably confirms its truth."
Thomas Malthus

• A complex relationship between growth in population and technology has developed over time. In the context of Malthusian economic thought, population growth, technology and global population trends is particularly significant.

• According to Malthus, the population grows exponentially, and food production grows arithmetically. As a result of that, the population exceeds the available resources. It will lead to scarcity, famine, disease, and war likewise.

• In this theory, technology plays an important part. Malthus thought that technological advancements could solve resource shortages temporarily. For instance, new agricultural methods can boost the food supply and support a large population for a period.

• However, Malthus believed that technological advancements can’t overcome imbalances between population growth and resource availability completely. He argued that any gain through technological advancements is quickly offset by population expansion and again comes to the same crisis.

• The actual pattern of the world's population has deviated slightly from Malthusian predictions. Although there has been significant population growth over the previous few centuries, it has not led to severe outcomes predicted by Malthus. Technological advancements have played a significant role specifically in food production. 

• Anyway, it's essential to understand that Malthusian issues are not totally irrelevant in the modern world. Although technology has evolved to support large population growth, issues like resource scarcity, environmental deterioration, and unequal resource distribution still exist. 

• In conclusion, the potential conflict between population expansion and resource availability is highlighted by Malthusian economic theory and these pressures can be temporarily reduced by technology. But Malthus thought that eventually, population expansion would surpass technical development.

Written By: W.R Hansani, W.A.I Shavindi, J. Rajapaksha

Reference:  ROLL, E. (1973a). A history of economic thought. 4th ed. London: Faber.