A country experiences rapid population growth over fifty years. During the same period, food production increases faster than population, birth rates decline, and living standards improve. Which conclusion follows most directly?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is option 2: The experience provides evidence against the inevitability of Malthus's prediction.
The historical experience of many European countries showed that rising population need not necessarily lead to increasing poverty. Improvements in food production, declining birth rates, and rising living standards directly challenged Malthus's pessimistic forecast.