OVERPOPULATION

OVERPOPULATION
toLHealth
S O C ISocio-economic
O - E C O N O M IIssue
C I S Related
SUE RE
ATED TO
HEALTH

What is Overpopulation?
Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where

the number of existing human population exceeds

the carrying capacity of the Earth.
It is a function of the number of individuals

compared to the relevant resources,

such as water and essential nutrients
they need to survive.

Two Types of Overpopulation

People

Overpopulation
o

Due to overpopulation,
people consume too few
resources resulting in
malnutrition.
Occurs in developing
countries.

Consumption

Overpopulation
o

Occurs when people

consume too large of a
share of resources
resulting in pollution.
Occurs in developed
countries.

Causes of Overpopulation
Decline in Death Rate
Better Medical Facilities
More hands to Overcome Poverty
Technological Advancement in Fertility Treatment
Immigration
Lack of Family Planning

Decline in Death Rate

At the root of overpopulation is the difference

between the overall birth rate and death rate in

populations.
Low death rate
High birth rate

Better Medical Facilities

Better means of producing food.
Discoveries which defeat a whole

range of diseases.
Some illnesses were cured because

of the invention of vaccines.

Combining the increase in food

supply with fewer means of

mortality tipped the balance and
became the starting point of
overpopulation.

More Hands to Overcome Poverty

Families that have been through

poverty, natural disasters, or are

simply in need of more hands to
work are a major factor for
overpopulation.

As compared to earlier
times, most of these extra
children survive and consume
resources that are not
sufficient in nature.

Technological Advancement in Fertility Treatment

It has become possible for

couple who are unable to

conceive to undergo fertility
treatment methods and
have their own babies.
Today there are effective
medicines which can
increase the chance of
conception and lead to rise
in birth rate.

Immigration
Many people prefer to move to

developed countries where best

facilities are available in terms of
medical, education, security, and
employment. The end result is
that those people settle over
there and those places become
overcrowded.

Lack of Family Planning

Most developing nations have large number of

people who are illiterate, live below poverty line, and

have little or no knowledge about family planning.
Those people are unable to understand
the harmful effects of
overpopulation, and lack
of ignorance prompts
them to avoid family
planning measures.

Effects of Overpopulation
Positive Effects
More progress
Larger Workforce
Economic Growth

Negative Effects
Resource

Scarcity
Degradation of
Environment
Rise in
Unemployment
High Cost of Living

Positive Effects
More Progress
The more the people
that there are, the more
ideas that they can produce
which help the world
progress within technology,
science, and beliefs.

Larger Workforce
More people means more
work could be done. The
larger the population also
open ups the opportunities
for new work and work
roles to make an
appearance.

Positive Effects

Economic Growth
Increase in the number or
people increases the demand
and purchase of products such
as food, clothing, educationrelated expenses, etc. which
help in the flow of the economy.

Negative Effects
Resource Scarcity
Although population growth
rates are declining in several
parts of the world, the population
continues to grow and tax natural
resources. In areas of tremendous
population growth, fossil fuels,
timber, water, and arable land
can become scarce because of
overconsumption and
degradation.

Environmental Damage

Increase in population also

increases the consumption of
energy for transportation, heat,
food production, and other
activities that generates air, land,
and water pollution.

Negative Effects
High Cost of Living
As difference between demand
and supply continues to expand
due to overpopulation, it raises the
prices of various commodities
including food, shelter, and
healthcare. This means that people
have to pay more to survive and
feed their families.
Rise in Unemployment
When a country becomes
overpopulated, it gives rise to
unemployment as there fewer jobs
to support large number of people.

Negative Effects
Due to lack of residential lots,

people, especially in the urban

areas live near bodies of water
like rivers.
Factories and industrial
buildings releases chemicals to
bodies of water.

More people, more food

consumption.
Limited food supply.

Negative Effects
Communicable diseases

can easily spread when

people are closer to each
other.

Because of limited

resources, people
compete with each other
resulting in conflicts.

Statistical Updates
WORLD
ASIA
PHILIPPINES

Population of the World

Figure 1. Global Human Population as of August 2014

Figure 2. 10 Most Populous Countries as of August 2014

Continent

Projected 2050
Population

Asia
Africa

5.3 Billion
1.8 Billion

Latin America and

Caribbean

809 Million

Europe

628 Million

North America

392 million

Figure 3. Projected 2050 Population of the World by Continent

by wikipedia.org

According to the United Nations World

Population Prospect report:
The world population is currently growing by
approximately 74 million people per year.
Current United Nations predictions estimate that the
world population will reach 9.0 billion around 2050,
assuming a decrease in average fertility rate from 2.5
down to 2.0.
Global life expectancy at birth is expected to continue
rising from 65 years in 2000-2005 to 75 years in 20452050.

Population of Asia

Figure 4. Population of Asia in 2014

Country

Population

China

1.357 billion

India

1.257 billion

Indonesia

248.4 million

Pakistan

183.9 million

Bangladesh

154.5 million

Japan

127.3 million

Philippines

98 million

Vietnam

89.7 million

Iran

76.7 million

Turkey

76 million

Figure 4. 10 Most Populous Countries in Asia as of 2014

by worldpopulationreview.com

Current Population

4.3 billion

2050 Population

5.2 billion

Figure 5. Population Projection of Asia in 2050 by Ined Forecast.

Population of the Philippines

Current population

102, 665, 687

Current male
population

51, 485, 107 (50.1%)

Current female
population

51, 180, 583 (49.9%)

Figure 6. Population of the Philippines as of March 7, 2015

by countrymeters.info

Rank

Region Name

Population

Region 4A (CALABARZON)

12, 609, 803

NCR

11,855,975

Region 3 (Central Luzon)

10,137,737

Region 6 (Western Visayas)

7,102,438

Region 7 (Central Visayas)

6,800,180

Region 5 (Bicol Region)

5,420,411

Region 1 (Ilocos Region)

4,748,372

Region 11 (Davao Region)

4,468,503

Region 10 (Northern Mindanao Region)

4,297,323

10

Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN)

4,109,571

Figure 7. 10 Most Populous Regions in the Philippines as of 2014

Figure 8. Projected Population of the Philippines from 2000-2020

Solutions to Overpopulation
Making people aware of Family Planning. Raising awareness

among people regarding family planning and letting them know

about serious after effects of overpopulation can help curb
population growth.
Education and job opportunities, especially for women.
Studies have found out that when women have more education and
job opportunities, they choose to have smaller families, and are able
to invest more in each child which helps break the cycle of poverty.
Tax Benefits or Concessions. Making provisions in taxation
that favor families with none or limited number or children.
Knowledge of Sex Education. Imparting sex education to
young kids so that they can be aware of the effects of having
children at a young age.

Policy Recommendations
Family Planning Program that include a

persuasion element to encourage couples to adopt

a small family size norm.
Incentives and disincentives. These involves
eliminating all implicit subsidies for large families;
offering financial or other incentives for small
families; imposing disincentives for large families.
Birth quotas imposed on families.
Government commitment to decreasing population
growth.

Philippines Population Control and Management Policies

Establishment of POPCOM (Commission on Population)

1967 by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos

Executive Order 171
Executive Order 233 (1970) empowered POPCOM to directa national
population programme.

The Population Act

RA 6365 (1971)
Made family planning part of a strategy for national development.

The Population Management Program

Pres. Ramos (1993)

Policymakers and politicians began to focus on reproductive health.

Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning Program

Promote natural family planning, birth spacing, and breastfeeding.

END

Prepared by:
Denn Andrew Fortuno
Joshua Kris Sunga
Karlo Tendencia
Junamay Delos Santos
Jerlyn Anne Masculino
BMLS 2D