Among the most famous theories of demography is the one associated with the English political economist Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834). Malthus’s theory of population growth – outlined in his Essay on Population (1798) – was rather pessimistic.

Why is Malthusian theory pessimistic?

Malthus argues that agriculture develops less than the population, so humanity is condemned to live in poverty. He predicted natural calamities and wars. The growth of the population will divide poverty and resources. The growth of the population will lead to pandemics.

Malthus argues that agriculture develops less than the population, so humanity is condemned to live in poverty.

Malthus argued that human populations tend to grow at a much faster rate than the rate at which the means of human subsistence (specially food, but also clothing and other agriculture-based products) can grow. Therefore humanity is condemned to live in poverty forever because the growth of agricultural production will always be overtaken by population growth.