Essay on the Causes of Rapid Population Growth

It is obvious that only two demographic variables, fertility and mortality, are responsible for world population growth, for migration is not relevant when the world situation is considered.

When there is a positive difference between the number of births and the number of deaths, population grows, and this increase of births over deaths is known as the natural increase of population.

While exploring the reasons for world population growth, it is, therefore, necessary to trace the course of mortality and fertility in various parts of the world.

Like all other species of plants and animals, man is endowed with reproductive capacity which, if unchecked, may result in a tremendous increase in numbers.

Till recently, this excessive fertility was checked by an almost equally high level of mortality. Man’s ability to control famines and disease two of the three important regulators of human numbers (the third being war) is one of the most significant developments in the history of population growth.

It has already been seen that, prior to 1800, world population increased very rapidly and the path of growth was marked by ups and downs because of the violent and recurring fluctuations in the death rates associated with such catastrophes as famines and chronic food shortages, widespread epidemics and wars.

In normal times too, death rates were quite high as a consequence of poor diet primitive conditions of sanitation and absence of effective preventive and curative medical practices.

A significant fall in mortality level began in Europe, North America and Oceania only in the nineteenth century.

The main causes of this were related to the social and economic development resulting, first from the agricultural revolution and then from the industrial revolution and finally from advances in the medical sciences, public health and environmental sanitation, which may also be attributed to economic development.

The declining death rates and the unchanged high birth rates resulted in an increase in the growth rate of the population of Europe. North America and Oceania the areas of European culture.

This growth may, however, be deemed to be modest, though steady, up to 1920. It was only after 1950 that world population increased at an accelerated rate and the increase in numbers was spectacular.

This unprecedented rise was largely due to the accelerated growth rates of the population of developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa resulting from declines, in the death rates brought about by technological advances, the prevention and control of disease and the growth of and expansion in, medical and public health services.

It is important to note that developing countries could bring down the death rates without achieving a certain level of socio-economic development till then considered as a precondition for lowering death rates, because the advances in medical and public health technology could be imported and easily adapted to suit local conditions.

This decline in the death rate was rapid and spectacular, as is apparent from. These declining death rates, however, were not accompanied by a corresponding decline in birth rates, which continued to remain high a functional response to high mortality supported by social customs and beliefs.

The foregoing discussion clearly indicates that the rapid growth of world population is mainly the result of reduction in mortality rates, which in turn symbolise the extent of man’s control over his environment and the speed with which such control can be achieved.