Population explosion

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Development of the world population. Above: absolutely in millions of people; below: relative growth per year in%

A population explosion is understood to be particularly rapid population growth with an annual growth rate of more than 2.5%. It is formed when the low death rate birth rate - often with religious or political manufactured Prevention inability of women - is more than three children per woman lives. This usually leads to a youth bulge , which at the same time can lead to a lack of employment opportunities for young men in waves of migration and / or violence. Some developing countries are currently experiencing such an "explosion", mainly in cities.

Population development

UN population analysis and forecast by continent (as of 2007)

In 1804 the world population exceeded one billion people and population growth began rapidly . During the 20th century, the world population has almost quadrupled. 1927: 2 billion, 1960: 3 billion, 1974: 4 billion, 1987: 5 billion, 1999: 6 billion and 2011: 7 billion people. The UNO stated October 31, 2011 as the date in its calculations. With an average projection, the UN expects 8.5 billion people by 2030 and 9.7 billion by 2050. Individual scientists expect a growth to 10.0 billion people ( see ecologist Roman Kotliar ).

If the number of births per woman ( fertility rate ) - as assumed in the forecast - levels off at 1.85 in the long term, a population decline can be assumed soon thereafter .

Population explosion in industrialized countries

With the industrial revolution in the 19th century, a population explosion began in today's industrialized countries, which mostly lasted until the pill break in the 1960s. Contrary to popular belief, there are still areas in the rich countries that are experiencing a population explosion. Almost all of these developments are due to immigration from other parts of the country or from abroad. Examples are the US states of Arizona, Georgia and Nevada, where there is a population explosion due to steady immigration. Also in parts of Spain, especially on the Mediterranean coast, the population has been growing steadily since the turn of the millennium due to the wave of immigration. Singapore and Macau are also experiencing a wave of immigration, which has increased the population to over 2.5%. Examples of population explosions due to the birth surplus are Kiryas Joel and New Square in the US state of New York, in which predominantly strictly religious Jews live.

Overpopulation

Supporters of population theory consider the state of overpopulation to have already occurred and to be one of the central problems facing humanity. Due to the explosive growth of the world population (around 7 billion people in 2011), some regions - mainly in the less developed countries in Africa and Asia - are overpopulated or suffer from enormous population density . The consequences would be hunger , poverty , deficiency symptoms, ecological problems, the rapid spread of epidemics and economic stagnation.

Accordingly, population policy in formerly rapidly expanding economies such as the People's Republic of China (see also one-child marriage ) has already led to a disproportionate reduction in the population explosion by law. At the global level, a place since 1974 decennial World Population Conference of the UN instead, are discussed worldwide in the basic problems and results about overpopulation.

criticism

The use of the term is sometimes subject to the accusation of dramatization and instrumentalization, as the expression "explosion" has a threatening undertone and even annual population growth rates of more than 2.5% with greater economic growth (especially increase in agricultural productivity ) do not necessarily lead to impoverishment or even have to lead to hunger and that through appropriate innovations ( energy saving and resource-saving technologies) a sustainable economy and gentle growth (both of the economy as well as of the population) is still conceivable for a long time.

According to the United Nations, population growth prevents the goals for sustainable development from being achieved . In April 2017, for example, the United Nations determined that the targeted, nationwide access to clean cooking facilities with electricity would be undermined by 2030. At the time of the report, more than three billion people were cooking with harmful fuels such as wood or dung.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gunnar Heinsohn: Sons and World Power. Terror in the rise and fall of nations. Zurich 2005 ( online )
  2. ↑ n-tv: Waiting for number 7,000,000,000
  3. ↑ UN forecast (PDF file)
  4. ^ "More than a billion people without electricity" The time of April 3, 2017