Marxist Theory on Population

Growth

Causes of Population Growth

Marx believed that the nature of economic

relations in Europes industrial societies was the

central problem for the worlds rapidly growing
population. Marx dismiss Malthusian notion that the
rising world population, rather than capitalism, was
the cause of ills.
Marxs argued that when society is well ordered,
increases in the population should lead to greater
wealth, not hunger and misery. In contrast, he saw
that the problem was the evils of the capitalist
system. Marx was of the view that this problem is
only possible in a capitalist society and not rising
world population.

Causes of Population Growth

He believed the system of capitalism has

the capacity to produce food and other

necessities, but it was the unequal
distribution of social and economic wealth
that undetermined production.
Karl Marx completely rejected Malthusian
theory as it did not fit in a socialist society.
Marxist approach in their resentment of
developed nations who they claim consume
almost four-fifths of the share of the world
resources.

Causes of Population Growth

He related population growth with present

economic system and for him both were

inseparable.
Marx held that poverty and unemployment were
not due to increased population, but on capitalist
system which failed to provide jobs. Surplus
population was the consequence for real
production and uneven distribution of wealth and
for providing jobs to only few persons.
According to Marx, in no country of the world
population increases on account of fertility but it
increases only on account of capitalist policies.

Causes of Population Growth

The capitalists make labour part of their

production and steal something out of that.

By installing labour saving machines a
capitalist wants to have maximum surplus
value out of that. As a result of this
unemployment spreads, wage declines and
poverty increases. He came to the
conclusion that main cause of surplus of
population was nothing else but wrong
politics of the capitalists.

Consequences of Population Growth

According to Marx, because of population growth the

bourgeoisie exploit the working class by suppressing

wages and keeping them in relative poverty.
Rapid population growth has also witnessesed the
depression of wages especially for the poor who
depend on wages for subsistence. It also strains
investment by diverting funds for the purpose of
maintaining a lumpen proletariat (large body of poor
people).
Marx states that, Because the capitalist system fails
to provide jobs Marx held the view that poverty and
unemployment would increase despite the
population growth.

Consequences of Population Growth

It is because Accumulation takes place why

capitalists convert a portion of their surplus

which allows them to expand more
appropriate surplus value which will lead to
further accumulation and expansion and so
on.
There would be a reduction or even a
disappearance of the surplus value if their
was a narrow gap between the amount
invested in labor power and the value of
the output produced by labor power.

Consequences of Population Growth

Marx believes that by installing labour

saying machines a capitalist wants to have

maximum surplus value out of that and as a
result of this unemployment spreads, wage
declines and poverty increases.
Surplus population was the consequence for
real production and uneven distribution of
wealth and for providing jobs to only few
persons.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
Malthusians Theory
According to Malthus, a population seems to

always increase beyond its subsistence and it

is
"... one of the causes that have hitherto
impeded the progress
of mankind towards happiness" (Malthus,
1933:5).
This cause is
"intimately united with the very nature of
man ... (it) is
the constant tendency in all animated life to
increase

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
Malthus called this tendency of

animated life; the natural law and

this is what he bases the principles of
his theories on. He then goes further to
say that the natural law of population
growth is checked by another natural
law; the law of necessity which
restrains that growth within certain
boundaries and keeps it down to the
level of the means of subsistence.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
However, the law that forms the general basis of

Malthus theory of population is the law of

diminishing returns.
Marxists Theory
We must first established that Marx disdainfully
rejected Malthus theory on population and as
such his theory of population is in essence
based on refuting the claims of Malthus. Both
Marx and Engels; another sociologist, kept
reiterating that they thought Malthuss theory
was an apology for the status quo. This is where
the bourgeois economists reify social relations.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
More specifically Marxs answer to Malthus

theory on population is the principle of the

reserve army of labor. He elaborates
more on this principle in his analysis of the
general law of consumption.

The accumulation and expansion of capital

constitutes the driving force of capitalism

and it becomes possible only as long as
capitalists can operate with a profit.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
Accumulation takes place when capitalists

convert a portion of their surplus value into

capital.
The process of accumulation implies also a
process of increase in the demand for labor.
In actual practice, wages tend to rise together
with capital accumulation but they never rise
enough to endanger the system itself. For the
classical economists and for Malthus in
particular, the mechanism that kept wages
equal to the "natural" price of labor power is
embodied in the principle of population.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
Poverty and unemployment are, therefore,

only the result of the workers' natural

propensity to reproduce beyond the
available means of subsistence.
Marx rejects the Malthusian solution to the
problems created by the contradictions
inherent in the capitalist system. In the
process of capital accumulation the
composition of capital does not remain
constant; it changes and it is this change
which is most important to understand the
effect of capital accumulation and

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
From the perspective of its value

composition, capital is composed of

constant capital (value of the means of
production) and variable capital (value of
the labor power). From the perspective of
its technical composition, capital is
composed of the means of production and
living labor. Changes in the technical
composition produce changes in the value
composition and this correlation between
the two is what Marx calls the organic
composition of capital (Marx, 1970:612).

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
This is the general law of capital

accumulation; the appropriation and

accumulation of surplus value in the hands
of the capitalist class leads to the poverty of
those who are precisely the source of that
surplus value.
While Malthus supported bourgeois ideology
and blamed the poor for many of the worlds
problems, Marx continues to press that
poverty, hunger, and unemployment are all
as a result of the inequalities of capitalism.

Ways in which Marxist theory differ

from Malthusian
Conclusion
In conclusion, when we look at the contemporary situation in
underdeveloped countries, the Marxist critique of Malthusian
and Neo-Malthusian analysis and policies does not deny the
existence of the problems that stem from high dependency
ratios and high population growth rates. However, it shows that
to deal with such phenomena as population problems,
overlooks the social, political, and economic structural factors
that are the causes of such a population structure and
processes. Therefore, as long as population control remains
the main or only concern of the various organizations; which in
one way or another are trying to foster economic development
in underdeveloped societies; their action will only consolidate
the economic underdevelopment that they are misinformately
trying to solve.

Critique
It is true to a great extent that in capitalist society there is

surplus population on account of unemployment. But it is

not to presume that under socialist system there will be no
need to check population growth at any stage.
Even in communist countries population growth is checked
on the plea that no mother should have more children so
that their mother so that their health does not deteriorate.
In erstwhile USSR factory workers were provide
contraceptives in their factories so that birth rate was kept
low.
If economic inequality is the main cause of birth rate then
in these countries rates should not differ. Because these
inequalities have come to an end. The necessity of family
planning is felt in these countries.