Is having a very large population a boon or curse?

[fanofcricket4life]

I had some free time yesterday so i decided to do some research. And this is the info i gathered about India, Pakistan and Bangladesh-

1) Australia's area - 7,692,024 square kilometers

India's area - 3,287,263 square kilometers

Australia is more than twice the size of India.

Australia's population - 25,094,753

India's population - 1,368,898,774

India's population is approximately 54 times larger than Australia.

2) Pakistan's area - 881,913 square kilometers

Canada's area - 9,984,670 square kilometers

Canada is approximately 11 times bigger than Pakistan.

Pakistan's population - 204,612,689

Canada's population - 37,281,942

Pakistan's population is approximately 5.5 times larger than Canada.

3) Bangladesh's area is - 147,570 square kilometers

Russia's area is - 17,098,246 square kilometers

Russia is approximately 116 times bigger than Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's population is - 168,098,744

Russia's population is - 143,894,221

Bangladesh has approximately 24 million more people than Russia.

Our rankings in any positive index is absolutely pathetic to say the least.

Human development index

http://hdr.undp.org/en/composite/HDI

Highest life expectancy

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/life-expectancy/

Average monthly income

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_price_rankings?itemId=105

What is common between the best countries in these lists? Very low population.

How do you even expect our governments to feed these many people?

 

[sweep_shot]

Large population is good if the landmass is huge. For example, USA is an extremely large country (size of a continent) and it can easily contain a large population. In USA's case, large population is a big blessing because they have enough resources to make it work.

On the other hand, Bangladesh is a very small country. It is like a tiny dot. It already has a huge population of 160-million approximately. In this case, large population is a disadvantage.

Small population or large population is not the issue. Issue is how much landmass a country has.

 

[Mamoon]

A curse if there is no homogeneity.

 

[LongtimeLurk3r]

The law of diminishing returns is applicable to population as well.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Population will drop (or atleast plateau) in the next 100 years.

Lifestyle choices are making men more infertile.

Next 50 years are going to be tough tho.

 

[saeedhk]

It is a massive curse.

 

[miandadrules]

Pakistan has many mouths to feed but hinders the contribution of the populace to society.

A double whammy.

 

[AdamM97]

As long as it’s sustainable, who cares. A larger population means a larger GDP which is why it’s not surprising that China and India will be the two largest economies by 2050.

As for Pakistan, our population will be 350+ by 2047 which is very dangerous and comes with a lot of implications. Ideally, we should have no more than 220 million people (not that it’s going to happen).

 

[Asim_khan]

It's a boon if you live in a country where there's abundant jobs and they can then pay taxes, it's an absolute curse if you're in a ravaged land and you've got hundred of millions depending on the tax paying 8 or so million

 

[Technics 1210]

Large population is inevitably a curse. Forget the social challenges, looking at the one presumed positive aspect, which is economics. Quality will always trump quantity, but with large populations the divide between the rich and poor is forever widening even if credit is bestowed upon each individual.

What’s more with smaller populations, changes can be expedited and implemented with ease. Take Iceland for example, after the 2008, it was the only country to make changes, charge those responsible, and to revamp their economic system because their population is small - now Iceland is reaping the benefits.

Meanwhile countries with larger populations, India, spend money on sending a tin can to Mars, forgetting the 100Ms living below the breadline, and China, went through huge credit binge which is resulting in many insolvencies and empty building sites!

 

[Itachi]

Depends on the demography.

If there is equal number of population, a country with higher number of young generation has greater survival chance than a country with more adult population.

So its a curse or is it a blessing doesnt depend upon the number but you will have to go deeper. Only the population cant give any indication.

 

[troodon]

Define Very Large Population?

For Subcontinent its an absolute curse. Utterly over populated. Credit goes to our forefathers and their penchant for large families. They ruined India/Pakistan/Bangladesh for their selfish and brainless beliefs and thinking.

 

[HussainRx8]

Most of the risks related to population growth are overstated. Pakistan ranks 34th in terms of population density, which is not great but also not catastrophic.

I'm sure at some point a large and a growing population will have diminishing returns. But by and large a sizable population is key to achieving long-term economic growth. You need working age population to support sustainable growth. It's Econ 101.

But it comes with a major caveat. If we fail to invest in adequate training and infrastructure then this demographic dividend would ultimately become a drag on growth. Instead of crowding a few major cities, we can build infrastructure and improve security to push people into sparsely populated areas (Balochistan, etc.). This of course is easier said than done.

All of this to say is that population is a complex subject. It doesn't lend itself to knee-jerk reactions.

 

[Pakpak]

I mean its helped India. Without its booming population it wouldn't be where it is today. Its a marketer's dream come true.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

A curse no doubt.

 

[ElRaja]

boon, easier to implement localised economies of scale. need functioning markets, administrative systems and enforceable contract law before welfare state and wealth redistrubution, etc tho.

 

[WC-Passion]

Depends. An ageing population on a large scale is a big problem. If the big population is relatively young it can thrive. Though this is all theoretical. Sounds really obvious right? However it's not a factor that many people think of. Look at Germany, China and France, they're all suffering from it and it's a reason why refugees or even normal immigrants being let in has sparked debate.

 

[PakLFC]

It is only an advantage if the country can look after the needs of them all. If not it is a massive curse and burden.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Curse.

We lose respect for anything that's in abundance. I've lived extensively in India and the US.

While their citizens are acquisitive and materialistic, most western societies don't show the same degree of reverence for common material goods - TV/ fridge/ cars etc- because they have so much of them.

Overpopulated societies don't show respect for people because we have so many of them. Just walk on any street in India (probably Pakistan as well) to understand what I'm saying.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Thousands of kindergartens closed across China as birth rate declines sharply​

China’s declining birth rate has led to a significant drop in both kindergarten numbers and enrollment, a new report has revealed.

In 2023, the number of kindergartens decreased by over five per cent, with 14,808 closures, marking the second year of decline, according to an annual report by the ministry of education. Enrollment dropped by 11.55 per cent, or 5.35 million children, leaving around 40.9 million enrolled, which is the third consecutive year of falling numbers.

Primary schools across China have also seen a 3.8 per cent reduction.

This demographic shift is deeply tied to China’s decreasing birth rate and population, with only nine million births recorded in 2023 – the lowest since 1949.

The fertility rate, reportedly under 1.0 in 2023, is far below the replacement level of 2.1.

“Meanwhile, the burden of elder care is intensifying, all amid economic stagnation,” He Yafu, an independent demographer based in Guangdong province was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

“Kindergarten operators need to adjust strategically to meet new challenges, such as expanding early childhood education to include children under three and establishing an integrated care-education system.”

Last week, it was reported that China was launching a massive survey to explore public apprehensions about having children, amid the ongoing decline in the birthrate despite previous government initiatives to encourage larger families.

The study, which will involve 30,000 participants from 1,500 communities, aims to uncover the reasons behind this reluctance and inform policies to support fertility.

The survey is part of broader efforts to address demographic challenges, including the country’s ageing population and economic pressures, which have deterred families from having more children.

In response, officials are promoting marriage and shared parenting and are considering raising the retirement age to cope with a shrinking workforce. Analysts believe that economic pressures and high living costs have deterred families from having children, with many kindergartens converting into elder care centres to meet the growing demand.

Earlier this year China announced improved policies to promote childbirth as a government report said the regime would create a “birth-friendly society and promote long term, balanced population development”.

Such policies would include “refining parental leave policies, improving the mechanism for sharing the related labour costs of employers and increasing the supply of childcare services”, a report from Chinese premier Li Qiang read.

Thousands of kindergartens closed across China as birth rate declines sharply

This demographic shift is deeply tied to China’s decreasing birth rate and population, with only 9 million births recorded in 2023 — the lowest since 1949

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Bhaijaan]

Large population + Political stability + Strong economy = Global power

It’s not easy to manage that many people. It’s actually a daunting task. China went for the easy way without giving a damn about what the world thinks. Bharat historically always wanted to be seen as the good guy so we took the harder road of democracy, secularism, open media etc and dealing with all the challenges that comes with that.

That being said, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of assurance and pride associated with being a big nation. The pride and swagger I walk with, knowing that China is scared of us makes me feel good about my life even if it isn’t all that. I would not have it any other way.

50% of the countries that exist today might not be there by 22nd century. Future wars will end a lot of smaller, weaker nations with wrong foreign policy.