Marx believed that population growth is tied to the economic system and the two cannot be separated. To Marx, poverty and unemployment were caused not by overpopulation itself, but by the failure of the capitalist system to provide enough jobs. Surplus population was the consequence of real production and the uneven distribution of wealth under capitalism. Marx also argued that under socialism, reproductive behavior would develop in full harmony with society. However, critics note that communist countries still saw the need to check population growth, contrary to Marx's assumptions, calling into question his view that economic inequality is the sole cause of differences in birth rates.

1. Marx Theory of Population
General Assumptions
• There can be no natural or universal law of
population.
• population growth is related to the
economic system and both are inseparable.
• To Marx poverty and unemployment were
not due to increased population, but due to
capitalist system which failed to provide
jobs.

2. •Surplus population was the consequence for real
production and uneven distribution of wealth and
for providing jobs to only few persons.
population increases on account of fertility but it
increases only on account of capitalist policies.
unemployment spreads, wage declines and poverty
increases, due to the introduction of machinery.
The surplus population is essentially a reserve army
of labour for the capitialists.

3. • Excess labour supply, pushes the cost of labour
downward, thus making competion between workers
high, and wages lower. Both of which profits the
capitialist.
• To Marx less production of food supplies from the land
is due to the ' Zamindari'/Landlord system where the
elite controls the majority of the land.
• In every period of production there is separate law of
population. The mode of production undergoes a
change from time to time.
• Marx was of the view that in a socialist society
reproductive behavior would develop a complete
harmony between the individual and the society.

4. Critique of Marx population theory
• In communist countries population growth was checked.
Therefore Marx's assumption that under socialist system
there will be no need to check population growth at any
stage is not correct.
• Critics, therefore argue that if economic inequality is the
main cause of differences in birth rate then in these
(communist) countries birth rates should not have
differed, since inequalities ended in these political
systems.