Talking Points on the Environment #5

Common Myths About Population Growth

• Myth: Without strict government controls on population growth, poverty and starvation are inevitable because the world population will naturally increase faster than the means of subsistence. Reality: Since the end of World War II, worldwide grain production has tripled while world population has only doubled. Third World food production is currently growing at twice the rate of the Third World population.
• Myth: World population is spiraling out of control. Reality: Birth rates have dropped dramatically over the past 25 years. In East Asia, births per woman have declined from 6.1 during the 1960-1965 period to 2.7 during 1985-1990. In Latin America, births dropped from 5.9 per woman to 3.6 over the same period. For all Third World nations, births have dropped from 6.1 to 3.9 per woman. World population is at an all time high largely due to advances in nutrition and medicine, which have increased life expectancy from 40-45 at the turn of the entury to 76-78 today.
• Myth: Over-population is the principal cause of famine. Reality: Since food production is growing at a faster rate than the world population, famine is clearly not the result of over-population. Political instability, war, government corruption or mismanagement, and/or inadequate preparation for intermittent drought, blight and pestilence are common causes of food shortages. The recent famine in Somalia is illustrative: Despite significant international assistance, Somalis continued to starve as food shipments intended for the needy were intercepted by Somali warlords. Development economist Amaryta Sen asserts that where there is democracy and a free press, famine has never occurred.
• Myth: Strict government birth control regulations must be imposed to keep the population growth rates down. Reality: According to Population Reference Bureau demographer Carl Haub, most countries have managed to reduce population growth without the kind of extreme, one-child-per-couple, regulations imposed by China. Japan and Germany, with annual population growth rates of .5% and 0%, respectively, have low population growth rates without strict government curbs on births.
• Myth: Over-population creates poverty. Reality: Wealthy industrial nations such as the Netherlands and Japan have 1,123 and 937 inhabitants per square mile respectively, while poor countries like Nicaragua and Brazil have only 70 and 45 people per square mile respectively.

Information from The Progressive, p. 42, March 16, 1991; Forbes, pg. 25, June 8, 1992; National Review, December 30, 1990; Environmental Overkill by Dixy Lee Ray (Regnery Gateway, 1993); The New York Times, Sec. 4, pg. 1, January 17, 1993; and USA Today, p. 2A, December 16, 1992.

Issue Date: July 7, 1993

Talking Points on the Economy: Environment #5, published by The National Center for Public Policy Research, 501 Capitol Ct NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 Tel. (202) 543-4110, Fax (202)543-5975, [email protected], http://www.nationalcenter/inter.net. For more information about Talking Points on the Economy: Environment #5 contact Bob Adams at 202/543-4110 or [email protected]

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