Reviewed by Omotolani Ajileye
Edited by Paul Elegbeleye
Table of Contents
Population
Population can be referred to as the total number of people living in a specific area. There are different types of population, which include overpopulation, underpopulation and optimum population. This article will take a look at these types of population
Overpopulation
Overpopulation occurs when the number of people in a country or region becomes too large for the available resources and facilities to support them at a reasonable standard of living.
In such situations, the population exceeds the capacity of the land, jobs, food supply, housing, health services and other social amenities. This leads to pressure on available resources and a decline in the overall quality of life.
Advantages of Overpopulation
- Large Labour Force: Overpopulation provides many people who can work in farms, industries and offices. This means that businesses and governments can easily find workers to fill different kinds of jobs. A large labour force can also lead to faster economic activities because there are enough people to produce goods and services.
- Large Market for Goods and Services: When there are people in a country, there is a big market for companies to sell their products. More people means more demand for food, clothing, housing, transport and other goods.
This encourages local businesses to expand. It also enables them to attract foreign companies that want to sell to such a large population.
- Encourages Innovation and Competition: Overpopulation can push people to think of new ideas and inventions to solve problems caused by high population. For example, limited land can make people develop better farming methods.
In addition, competition among people encourages creativity and efficiency, which can drive economic growth.
- Attracts Foreign Investors: Foreign investors are attracted to countries with large populations. This is because they can get cheap labour and sell to a huge market. Investors may set up factories and businesses in such countries, creating more jobs and contributing to economic development.
Disadvantages of Overpopulation
- Unemployment and Underemployment: Overpopulation leads to people chasing too few jobs. When the labour force is larger than the available employment opportunities, people are left unemployed.
Even those who manage to find work may be underemployed, This means doing jobs that do not match their skills or pay very little. This situation creates frustration, poverty and social unrest in the society.
- Pressure on Social Amenities: When the population of a country grows too rapidly, there is excessive demand for schools, hospitals, housing, water supply, electricity and other essential services.
Since resources are limited, the facilities become overcrowded and of poor quality.
For example, classrooms may be congested, hospitals may lack beds and public transport may be inadequate, leading to discomfort and inefficiency.
- Poverty and Low Standard of Living: Overpopulation usually results in widespread poverty because income per person becomes very low. With people depending on limited resources, families struggle to meet their basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and education.
The cost of living increases and people are forced to live in poor conditions. This reduces the overall standard of living in the country.
- Overcrowding and Poor Housing: When the number of people in urban areas grows beyond capacity, it results in overcrowding. People may be forced to live in small spaces, which creates pressure on housing facilities. This leads to the growth of slums, poor sanitation and unhealthy living conditions.
Overcrowding also increases crime rates and social problems as people compete for limited space and opportunities.
- Environmental Degradation: A large population puts heavy pressure on natural resources such as land, water and forests. Overpopulation encourages deforestation, overfishing and overuse of farmland, which reduces soil fertility.
It also leads to pollution of air, land and water as people dispose of more waste than the environment can handle. This environmental damage makes life harder for both present and future generations.
Control of Overpopulation
- Family Planning Education: An effective way to control overpopulation is through family planning education. People should be taught about the benefits of having smaller families and the negative effects of having more children than they can cater for.
When individuals understand how to space or limit childbirth, they can plan their resources better. Public campaigns, schools, health centres and religious institutions can all be used to spread family planning awareness.
- Provision of Contraceptives: The government can help reduce overpopulation by providing contraceptives. Contraceptives such as birth control pills, condoms and injections available and affordable to the public.
When couples have access to modern birth control methods, they are able to decide the number of children they want and when to have them. This helps to slow down rapid population growth and reduces unwanted pregnancies.
- Raising the Marriage Age: Delaying the age of marriage is another method of controlling population growth. When people marry at an older age, the number of years available for childbearing is reduced. This usually results in fewer children per family.
Governments can achieve this by making laws that set a minimum legal marriage age, as well as encouraging young people to focus on education and career development before settling.
- Encouraging Women’s Education and Employment: Educating women and involving them in the workforce is a way of reducing population growth. Educated women are more likely to understand the benefits of family planning and are also more likely to marry later and have fewer children.
When women are employed, they contribute to household income and choose smaller family sizes in order to balance work and family life.
- Population Policies: Governments introduce specific population policies to control growth. For example, they may limit the number of children per family, as China once did with its “One Child Policy.” Other policies may involve providing incentives for smaller families, like tax reliefs or financial support.
By directly setting rules or offering benefits, the government can help balance the relationship between population growth and available resources.
Under-population
Under-population is a situation where the number of people in a country is too small compared to the available resources and level of technology.
In this case, there are not enough people to fully utilise the land, natural resources and industries, which results in wastage or underuse of resources.
It means that the population is below the level required to achieve maximum production and efficiency. This can slower economic growth despite the abundance of resources.
Causes of Under-population
The major cause of under-population is high death rates, which occur due to widespread diseases, wars, famine, poor healthcare, or natural disasters.
When a country experiences high mortality, the number of people decreases sharply, leaving too few people to make use of available resources. For example, countries that suffer from epidemics or civil wars may lose a large portion of their population. This definitely creates a labour shortage and slowing down development. Other causes of under-population includes:
- Low Birth Rates: A low birth rate also contributes to under-population when fewer children are born compared to the resources and space available. This may result from widespread use of birth control, delayed marriages, economic challenges, or cultural practices that discourage large families.
Over time, the population becomes too small to fully engage in economic activities, leaving vast land and resources underutilised.
- Emigration: Another cause is emigration, which is the movement of people out of a country to live and work elsewhere. When skilled and unskilled workers migrate in search of better opportunities, the country they leave behind may face labour shortages.
This “brain drain” reduces the active population needed to sustain economic growth. This can lead to under-population if the outflow of people is not balanced with immigration.
- Harsh Climate or Poor Living Conditions: Under-population may also result from harsh climate and poor living conditions that discourage settlement. Areas with extreme cold, heat, deserts, mountains, or poor infrastructure tend to have fewer people living there.
When basic amenities like good roads, schools, hospitals and clean water are lacking, people may avoid settling in those regions. This will result in leaving the land and resources largely unused.
Advantages of Under-population
- Abundant Natural Resources per Person: In an under-populated country, there are plenty of natural resources compared
- Higher Per Capita Income: Under-population can also lead to higher per capita income, which means that the national income is shared among fewer people. If a country has enough resources and industries, the small population will enjoy a bigger share of the wealth.
This allows individuals to have more income for consumption, savings and investment, raising their standard of living compared to countries with large populations.
- Higher Standard of Living: Since there are fewer people competing for jobs, resources and services, under-populated countries have a higher standard of living. Citizens may have better housing, healthcare and job opportunities because the available resources are not overstretched.
People can also enjoy less traffic congestion, more space and better environmental conditions compared to over-populated countries.
Disadvantages of Under-population
- Insufficient Labour Force: In an under-populated country, there are not enough workers to fully engage in farming, industries and other productive activities. This makes it difficult to utilise all the available resources such as land, minerals and factories.
As a result, production remains low, and the country cannot reach its full economic potential.
- Small Market Size: A small population also means few buyers for goods and services. When the market is limited, producers and investors may not be encouraged to produce on a large scale.
This can discourage both local and foreign investment, thereby slowing down industrial growth and overall economic development.
- Difficulty in Defending the Country: Under-populated countries may face challenges in defending themselves during times of war or external aggression because they lack enough soldiers and manpower.
A small population makes it harder to maintain a strong military force, leaving the nation vulnerable to external threats.
- Underutilisation of Resources: When a country has natural resources but very few people, these resources may remain untapped or wasted. For example, fertile lands may not be cultivated, and mineral resources may lie unused. This prevents the country from enjoying the full benefits of its wealth and hinders economic progress.
Optimum Population
Optimum population refers to the ideal number of people a country can have in relation to its available resources and level of technology. As a result, the highest possible standard of living is achieved.
In other words, it is the population size at which resources are neither under-used nor overstretched and both labour and natural resources are used efficiently.
When the population exceeds this level, the country faces overpopulation, while if it falls below it, under-population occurs.
The implications of optimum population are that when a country’s population is at the right balance with its available resources and level of technology, the people enjoy the highest possible standard of living.
At this point, resources are efficiently used, there is enough labour to work in industries and on farms. The size of the market is large enough to encourage production and investment.
However, if the population grows beyond this point, it leads to overpopulation with problems such as unemployment and poverty. Falling below, it results in under-population with wasted resources and insufficient labour.
Thus, optimum population is useful because it ensures sustainable economic growth and development.
Final Thoughts
Population can be too high (overpopulation), too low (under-population), or just right (optimum population) depending on the available resources.
Also Read: Top 2 Theories of Population: Everything You Need To Know
