Advantages & Disadvantages of Population Growth

By Dennis Ova, eHow Contributor Print this article

The world population is approaching 7 billion.

Texas has about 172 million acres. There are about 6.8 billion people on Earth. All 6.8 billion people on Earth could physically fit in a land the size of Texas at about 40 people per acre. Such a scenario gives rise to images of overcrowding and civil unrest while putting into perspective how much farmland there is to feed the population for quite some time. Population growth has both advantages and disadvantages.

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Positive Effects of Population Growth

The Advantages of Population Growth

1. Advantage: Industrial, Medical, and Agricultural Innovation

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Many of the world's remarkable innovations over the past 300 years are attributable to population growth: More great minds lead to more innovations. Assembly-line manufacturing itself is an adaptation to an increasing population and the need for greater and faster output. More people around the world are living longer lives than even a century earlier thanks to modern medical achievements. And while agricultural resources are a very real concern as the world's population grows, the world's increase in population is

responsible for a greater consciousness of the need for additional resources as well as the innovations to produce food at the pace of population growth.

Advantage: Economic Growth

A growing population can generate economic growth. The birth of more people equates to a greater number of parents investing in their youth. Increased purchases in products such as food, clothing, education-related expenses, sporting goods and toys feed the economy. Parents with small children purchase larger homes with more bedrooms and bathrooms to make room for their children. The larger homes that parents with children purchase feed the construction and home improvement industries economically. Children then grow into adults who work for pay and spend it in the economy.
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Disadvantage: Food Shortage

Unchecked population growth without equal agricultural advancement to meet it leads to food shortages. Fortunately, agricultural supply worldwide currently exceeds the demand of the world population. While food shortage is a valid concern of population growth, current research suggests the world population is growing at an increasingly slower rate and several developed nations are experiencing negative population growth. Slowing population growth combined with modern agriculture make it difficult to estimate a point when the population's demand for food outweighs the supply. Food distribution does remain a concern in some areas of the world.

Disadvantage: Property Shortage

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Although the world population is a long way from being large enough to occupy all of the habitable land on earth, unchecked population growth can inspire overcrowding and civil unrest. Areas with high populations experience this now. In the developed world, however, population growth is waning, leaving fewer risks of property shortages.

Disadvantage: Aging Dependency

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The world's growing population includes a large and dependent aging segment. In the United States, the aging population as defined by people over the age of 65 is expected to comprise almost 20 percent of the population by 2030 -- an 80 percent increase from 2000.

Changes in population distribution such as this one can make a society assess how it cares for certain populations and how it allocates resources for such care.
There are many different advantages and disadvantages. For instance, if there were more people in the economy then there would of course be more choice for employers when they're looking for an employee. This allows employers to employ only those that they believe are up to the job. However, the problem that comes with this is overpopulation and unemployment. Overpopulation is a common problem for countries that openly welcome immigration. The United Kingdom is one such place that embraces mass immigration and is now suffering the problem of unemployment. Of course, there are bound to be many mo0re answers but you need to ask yourself whether you're looking in the right place for your answers. This appears to be quite an academic question and is most likely a question that has been used in some form of academia. If this is true and you need to answer the question as part of your course then there are better places to look for the answer to this question. The first place you need to look is in your textbook. Your textbook provides you with all of the answers, that's why it was either given to you or suggested to you at the beginning of your course. Simply look in the contents page and you'll find where you need to look for the answer to this difficult and academic question. You should also not be afraid of asking your teacher or tutor for help. When it comes to your studies your teacher is there to ensure that you learn everything you need to learn and you are supported with every step. By simply getting in touch with your teacher you can get instant access to some of the best assistance and information relating to this particular question.