1. Marxist Theory on Population
Growth
Done by: Tasanne Stewart
Stacey-Ann
Williamson
Imani Maxwell
Anna-Kay Clayton

2. Causes of Population Growth
 Marx believed that the nature of economic
relations in Europe’s industrial societies was the
central problem for the world’s rapidly growing
population. Marx dismiss Malthusian notion that
the rising world population, rather than capitalism,
was the cause of ills.
 . Marx’s 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.
 Raid 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). AM NOT SURE ABOUT HERE!!
 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Ways in which Marxist theory differ
from Malthusian
Malthusians Theory
 According to Malthus, a population seems to
always increase beyond it’s 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

10. 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.

11. 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 Malthus’s theory was an apology for
the status quo. This is where the bourgeois
economists reify social relations.

12. Ways in which Marxist theory differ
from Malthusian
 More specifically Marx’s 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.

13. 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.

14. 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 expansion upon the
working population.

15. 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).

16. 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 borgseois ideology
and blamed the poor for many of the world’s
problems, Marx continues to press that
poverty, hunger, and unemployment are all as
a result of the inequalities of capitalism.

17. 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.

18. 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 de 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.