Population Growth & Poverty: Cause-Effect Debate
India, with 1.4 billion people (2023), faces a complex relationship between population growth and poverty. The debate revolves around whether population growth causes poverty or poverty leads to high population growth.
1. Population Growth as the Cause of Poverty
- Strain on Resources: High population increases demand for food, water, housing, reducing per capita availability.
- Unemployment & Low Wages: Excess workforce results in underemployment, informal jobs, and low wages (e.g., 45.8% workers in informal sector – PLFS 2022).
- Overburdened Infrastructure: Health, education, and sanitation facilities are inadequate for a growing population (e.g., 1.7 doctors per 1,000 people – WHO).
- Environmental Degradation: Deforestation, pollution, and groundwater depletion impact livelihoods (e.g., desertification affects 30% of India’s land).
2. Poverty as the Cause of Population Growth
- Low Access to Contraception & Education: NFHS-5 (2019-21) shows 11% unmet need for contraception among poor women.
- Economic Security through Children: Poor families rely on more children for labor & old-age support (e.g., higher fertility rates in Bihar, UP).
- High Infant Mortality: Families compensate for child mortality by having more children (IMR: 27 per 1,000 live births – 2022).
Conclusion
The relationship is cyclical: poverty fuels high birth rates, which further deepen poverty. Investments in education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment (e.g., Mission Indradhanush, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao) are key to breaking this cycle.
