Malthusian Theory

The Malthusian theory defines that the human population grows exponentially compared to the food and resources supply required to satisfy them. The purpose of Malthusian theory was to explain and analyze the dynamics of population growth and the availability of resources.

Thomas Malthus, regarded as the father of the Malthusian theory of population, believed that population grows exponentially. Still, the food supply grows with an arithmetic progression. Specific measures can control the population to balance the food supply, including preventive and positive checks, ultimately leading to the Malthusian catastrophe.

• Malthusian theory suggests that the population grows exponentially compared to the food and supply of resources, which has a slow progression.
• Thomas Robert Malthus is regarded as the father of this theory and hence is named after him when he first published it in 1798.
• He believed that various positive and preventive methods could control the population to achieve balance concerning food supply.
• The theory, over time, has gained equal importance and faced a reasonable amount of criticism from people and society.

Malthusian theory defines the disbalance created between people and food supply and resources due to the perpetual increase in the population. Thomas Robert Malthus FRS, an English economist with influential knowledge in political economy and demography, gave the theory. Therefore, the Malthusian theory's history dates to 1798, when he published this theory in a piece called "The Essay On The Principle of Population." He also developed an exponential formula to predict population growth known as the Malthusian growth model.

Furthermore, the Malthusian theory definition states that the population grows like a geometric progression that looks like 2, 10, 50, 250, 1250. In contrast, the food supply increases in an arithmetic progression series like 2, 5, 8, 11, 14. Hence, based on this, the theory suggests that the population will have increased dramatically in a few decades, whereas the food supply will not be able to match its speed. Thus, there will be a food shortage in the future, which will lead to famines, starvation, poetry, hunger, and food crises.

Moreover, the essence of the theory lies in understanding the world's problems with a growing population, which can be easily observed in nations with a higher population. At the same time, other internal and external factors such as inflation, unemployment, natural calamities, war, financial crises, authority, class divide, and power usage all play a crucial role in enlarging the gap between food supply and population.

Additionally, the primary assumptions of Malthusian theory are:

• Exponential population growth
• Limited resources
• The imbalance between population and resources
• Checks on population growth
• Social inertia

However, this theory remains an essential historical perspective in the study of population and resource dynamics, and it has contributed to discussions on topics such as population control, birth control, and resource sustainability.

The elements of Malthusian theory are -

• Population and food supply - Both of these are key elements of the Malthusian theory. Thomas Malthus explains that compared to food supply and resource growth, the population increases exponentially; the gap between the two factors leads to a shortage of food supply because people are more and food is less, which leads to basic survival and induces wars, famine, starvation, etc.
• Positive checks - Refer to the natural checks that occur occasionally; they include floods, famine, wars, plagues, earthquakes, and other natural calamities. Hence, these checks reduce the population and bring a balance between the food and supply. However, this theory suggests it is a natural way of keeping order intact in society.
• Preventive checks - These are methods applied by the public in their daily and personal lives that technically prevent or avoid the disbalance of food supply, such as late marriage, having no child, self-control, simple living, etc. When people practice such aspects, they also, at a minimal level, prevent the catastrophic effects of positive checks.

Let us understand the concept better with the help of an example.

Example #1

Consider a fictional village with no outside resources; in 1989, the village was rich in agriculture that could easily support and sustain the population. Nine years later, every family expanded as people married and had children, increasing the population. But the resources were the same; another nine years passed by, and in 2007, the village expanded in area, which meant there was an increment in food and supply. Yet again, the population grew, which created a small gap between food supply and population growth.

Therefore, people somehow managed, but again, the next nine years passed by, and in 2016 the village had a significant population. Still, the resources, agriculture, food, and supply were the same, creating a substantial imbalance in the society, leading the village to poverty, starvation, and basic survival. Hence, Malthusian theory suggests the same phenomenon and elaborates that if the people of the village had taken preventive measures such as late marriage, self-control, and no desire for children, the village would not have faced the problem. It is a simple Malthusian theory example.

Example #2

A good example comes from a 2022 article that reports that in 2020, one out of three people needed access to enough food, with food prices rising and the war trapping wheat, barley, and maize in Ukraine and Russia, an increase of about 320 million people annually. Things are only set to get worse. The article mentions Thomas Malthus's theory on population expansion and the gap between food supply would eventually exceed the planet's carrying capacity. It also becomes a root cause of hunger and malnutrition.

The major problem is that even when we have enough resources to feed everyone on the planet, unequal access, inflation, poverty, and hunger in conflict-ridden zones with political scenarios of different nations play a crucial role in inducing such problems that are going to exist in some form or another.

The importance of this theory can be summarised in the following points -

• The theory explains the increasing population gap and equilibrium of resources and food supply.
• This theory is not just on paper but is practically observed in some areas of the world over time.
• Predicts the future shortage of food and supplies, given that the population is supposed to keep increasing.
• Offers methods that could be applied to bring balance.
• Thomas Mathus believed that a famine, war, flood, or natural calamity occurs to reduce the population and restore the balance.
• Irrespective of its criticism and assumptions, the theory has been a substantial case study for many global economists.
• Malthusian theory remains relevant in contemporary discussions on environmental sustainability and overpopulation.

The criticisms of the Thomas Malthusian theory are -

• No evidence exists that population and food supply grow like geometric and arithmetic progression, respectively.
• Malthus ignored the workforce factor in people and was often called a pessimist who dreaded any increase in population.
• The theory does not account for innovation in farming, the opening of new areas, and improvement in agricultural fields and transport that can minimize the gap.
• Thomas Malthus did not consider the death rate factor in his theory.
• Malthus was considered a false prophet who was highly influenced by his religious education, pessimism, and constraints of morality, which he tried to convey to his followers.
• The theory does not account for total wealth but only for food supply, which means that if a country is rich and economically prosperous, even if it cannot produce, it can import food for its people.
• Critics point out that resource availability and population growth vary widely across regions and countries.

The key differences between the three theories are -

• Malthusian theory points out the imbalance between population and food supply due to overpopulation. The Boserup theory defines the growing population as the cause of agricultural change and innovation. And the Neo-Malthusian theory suggests a fear of ecological disaster due to overpopulation.
• Malthusian theory came in 1798, but the Boserup theory came in 1965. In contrast, neo-Malthusiasm was introduced in 1877.
• The Malthusian theory is named after Thomas Robert Malthus. The Boserup theory is named after Ester Boserup, and Dr. Samuel Van Houten gave the neo-Malthusian theory.

This article has been a guide to what is Malthusian Theory of Population. We explain its criticism, examples, importance, & comparison with Boserup & Neo Malthusian theory. You may also find some useful articles here -

• Pecking Order Theory
• Segmented Market Theory
• Random Walk Theory