The Overpopulation Project
TOP – Research and Outreach
Too many people consuming too much
Tag: overpopulation
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Population growth is still rapid. Has the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) forgotten family planning programs?
Projected population growth of about 2 billion in Africa and elsewhere contributes to poverty, impoverished reproductive health, and degradation of environment and climate. In a new publication in the journal Reproductive Health we argue that this unsustainable growth and the crucial role of family planning are neglected by among others the UN Population Fund. We…
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The Most Appropriate Response to Falling Birthrates? Embrace Them
Many governments are panicking over declining birthrates, but efforts to reverse the trend are ineffective and undermine reproductive freedom. Falling birthrates should instead be celebrated as a sign of increased reproductive agency among women. By Nandita Bajaj As birthrates continue to decline in many industrialized countries, anxious governments are running out of schemes to keep…
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New paper defends a pragmatic definition of overpopulation
Distinguishing ecologically sustainable from excessive human populations is necessary to understand humanity’s environmental challenges and pursue our best options for addressing them. A new publication from TOP presents a definition of human overpopulation based on plausible scientific and ethical criteria, rather than wishful thinking. by Philip Cafaro Last year, TOP published a working paper presenting…
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The Psychology of our Strange Overpopulation Taboo
In the 60s and early 70s, we talked about overpopulation, but now it’s taboo. A new paper, using depth psychology, explains why: Unconscious wishes and fears related to reproduction, envy and omnipotence derail the conversation. by Miriam Voran It’s a bewildering fact: Humans abhor talk of overpopulation. Back in the 60s and early 70s, we…
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Goodbye Paul Ehrlich
We remember a giant of the modern environmental movement, who passed away this past Friday at the age of ninety-three. by The Overpopulation Project Paul R. Ehrlich, an American biologist, died on 13 March. Ehrlich was one of the most influential environmental thinkers of the past half century. He built his early scientific reputation studying…
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Housing affordability improves when population growth eases
Whether immigration fuels the housing crisis is hotly debated. Recent wide fluctuations in population growth have provided a natural experiment. The data are in: slowing population growth makes housing more affordable. by Jane O’Sullivan In the past two decades, many high-income countries have endured unprecedented increases in the cost of homes to buy or rent.…
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Is Legal Abortion Required for Sustainable Fertility?
Our planet can’t sustain an ever-growing number of humans, but many countries have already reached below-replacement birth rates enabling a future rebalancing of humans with nature. While modern contraceptive technologies deservedly take most of the credit, how important has abortion access been? by Richard Grossman, MD, MPH All readers should be aware that globally, humans…
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Watershed Woes
Despite half a century of efforts to improve water quality and restore fisheries in America’s Chesapeake Bay, its ecological condition continues to decline. A new study quantifies the environmental problems within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, explores their causes, and discusses possible futures. by Philip Cafaro As the third largest estuary on Earth, the Chesapeake Bay…
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What Are Floors Without Ceilings?
Staying within safe planetary boundaries for global resource use and pollution makes good sense. Are there a complementary set of economic and social measures that could help human societies remain within ecological limits? by Erik Assadourian Not long ago a new update to the Planetary Doughnut was published in Nature, complete with 35 indicators to…
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Overpopulation is a major factor in global mortality
The media love a crisis but ignore systemic problems. Storms and fires get much attention yet kill relatively few people, whereas neglected overpopulation kills many more, through diseases, malnutrition and other causes. By Frank Götmark and Malte Andersson The late Hans Rosling, his book Factfulness and the website Our World in Data describe medical advances…
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Major UN report highlights overpopulation and overconsumption, need for profound transformation
A major new review of the state of the environment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides a comprehensive and refreshingly honest exploration of the root drivers of environmental degradation, and stresses the urgent need to overhaul how we live on this planet. by Olivia Nater, originally published by Population Connection The 7th edition…
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TOP end of year roundup
Thanks to our readers and supporters for an engaging and productive year. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing new work in the coming one. by The Overpopulation Project 2025 was Frank’s, Jane’s and Phil’s eighth year with The Overpopulation Project. Along with our ”truly TOP” research associate Pernilla Hansson, we continue to…
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Housing Costs a Matter of Supply and Demand
The Trump administration’s favors to big business threaten America’s environment. But its immigration crackdown has sparked welcome debates about the costs and benefits of continued growth, including its impact on affordable housing. by Henry Barbaro and Philip Cafaro Last month, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance argued that a surge in illegal immigration has pushed housing…
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Why is Africa’s extreme population growth ignored, despite very serious consequences? And how will Europe respond?
Continued rapid global population growth is unsustainable, but the media instead focus on low birth rates in developed countries. Most future growth will be in Africa, where young people want to emigrate to Europe or other developed regions. How will EU countries act in the face of Africa’s extreme population growth and increasing migration? By…
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The argument from failure
After seven years of research and blogging here at TOP, it’s sometimes hard to think of new things to say about population matters. But recent events suggest a new argument for overpopulation that readers may not have considered. By Philip Cafaro The top global environmental stories of the past month have been the failure of…
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Silence about “överbefolkning” in Swedish public discourse, but is there a change in the media?
Överbefolkning (=overpopulation) generated no hits on the Internet for the Swedish government, state agencies, municipalities, or environmental organisations. In Sweden, the concept överbefolkning seems to be neglected by those in power as part of a culture of silence, though hits from Swedish media might indicate a change. by Dag Lindgren Overpopulation generates numerous negative effects…
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Thank you for the Baklava
Through a story centered around the nurturing of an orphaned owl, author Carl Safina tackles topics such as biodiversity loss, human overpopulation, and human beliefs. Richard Grossman has read the book. by Richard Grossman MD “Alfie & Me” is a many-layered joy to read! Its main story is as delicious as they come. An orphaned…
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Even starving children won’t break the population taboo
Since 2020, stunting in children is on the rise. For those in denial about the impacts of population growth in poor countries, the inevitable is presented as a mystery as ideology trumps honesty and compassion. by Jane O’Sullivan Heralding World Food Day on 16 October, an editorial in Nature focused on the disturbing rise in…
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It’s not racist to say: we are full
Should migrants be “blamed” for rising house prices? Or should we set aside blame and acknowledge that population growth, whatever the source, has some negative impacts? by Gaia Baracetti I recently had the good fortune of visiting Vancouver, a city where I used to live a long time ago. While still beautiful, it appeared to me…
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Farewell to Jane Goodall — Population Activist
Jane Goodall was a champion for chimpanzees, conservation, and population activism. The latter aspect of her work has been conspicuously neglected in recent tributes to this scientific giant. by Leon Kolankiewicz Pioneering English primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall (1934-2025) passed away last week at the age of 91. In the days since, numerous, well-deserved and glowing…
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Population stability could improve UK living standards
With a population nearing 70 million, the UK is feeling the pressure on the housing and job markets. Stabilising the population would ease this pressure, giving more people access to affordable housing and strengthening wages, utlimately raising the quality of life for UK citizens. by R. M. Smilie Introduction The United Kingdom (UK) has rarely…
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Fears that falling birth rates in US could lead to population collapse are based on faulty assumptions
Pronatalistic alarmism about an oncoming economic crisis driven by a decline in birth rates is largely unfounded. In reality, the average number of children per woman in the US has stayed relatively consistent in recent decades, and technological advancements and increased workforce participation mean that the proportion of workers can remain stable at lower fertility…
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New Page to Fight Myths About Population
Our new webpage “Myths about population” gathers some well-written responses to the most common misconceptions about population. by Pernilla Hansson Working in the field of population research, we often come across a few recurring arguments minimising the importance of the population factor or demonising actions to address it. The myths perpetuated in these arguments seem…
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Degrowth
Degrowth is a relatively new word, and although there are different interpretations, one thing seems certain: sustainability cannot be reached without embracing degrowth. by Richard Grossman MD Recently I wrote about 2 words that have negative implications to many people, “population” and “overpopulation”. I’m now introducing a word that will be new to many people…
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Thirsty for Growth: How Arizona is Trading Water for Sprawl
Touted as a conservation success story, new legislation in Arizona is actually a ploy to resume unsustainable development in areas that are running out of water. It foolishly seeks to override hard physical limits with paper water credits, displacing wildlife and farmland in service to sprawl. by Phil Cafaro In June 2025, the Arizona Department…
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Growth Addiction and Water in the American Southwest
GrowthBusters is a terrific podcast dealing with the environmental costs of growth, hosted by Dave and Stephanie Gardner. On their latest episode, river activist Gary Wockner talks about the state of the Colorado River and the growth obsession that keeps cities and states in the southwestern U.S. from responding rationally to increasing water scarcity. by…
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For the sake of food security, we must address population numbers
On World Population Day, Jenny Goldie reminds us that food is humanity’s most basic and most vulnerable necessity, but reducing the number of mouths to feed remains off the food security agenda. by Jenny Goldie As a child, the thought of other children going to bed hungry upset me. Later, I began university studies in…
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The Demographic Struggle Over International Migration
A large percentage of people want to emigrate to another country, but many people in destination countries are opposed to accepting large numbers of immigrants. International migration is a highly difficult issue with no simple solution. by Joseph Chamie Approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world’s population, wish to leave their country permanently,…
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The Carl Wahren papers are now available at Sweden’s National Archives
The Overpopulation Project has been ranked as one of the 10 best demography blogs of 2025 by FeedSpot. Thank you to all our readers for engaging with and sharing our work. For researchers working on historical population issues and interested lay persons, the Carl Wahren papers are a gold mine. See examples below, described by…
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The imminence (or otherwise) of depopulation
Whether you see a peak and decline of world population as a good thing or a bad thing, lots of people are speculating that it is imminent. Can we believe them? Jane O’Sullivan According to the most recent United Nations projections, the world population will peak sixty years from now at around 10.3 billion. Lately,…
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The Planet Cannot Hold the Weight of 8.2 billion Narratives. Here’s Why…
As ecosystems deteriorate and wealth inequality deepens, the impact of overpopulation on the natural world is well-documented—but its effects on democracy, social cohesion, and psychological well-being remain largely unexplored. This essay examines how our bloated, hyper-complex societies have outgrown their ability to meet individual needs, leading to a breakdown in political and social structures. By…
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Rethinking Population Shrinkage in the Nordic Countries
Population degrowth is a necessity to achieve a sustainable world. A new policy brief for the Nordic countries urges policymakers to rethink their commitment to continued growth and instead embrace the reality of demographic degrowth. By Pernilla Hansson Many countries around the globe are set to experience population decrease, with several dozen already doing so.…
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Toward sustainable economies
Creating economies that do not devastate the natural world on which they depend is the economic challenge of the 21st century. An intriguing new book from Theodore Lianos explores different answers regarding what that might look like. by Anastasia Pseiridis Capitalism has fuelled unprecedented economic growth over the last three centuries. The emblematic phrase ‘grow…
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Overpopulation: A New Survey Confirms the Cause of the Planet’s Environmental Crises
Synthesizing findings from hundreds of recent peer-reviewed scientific studies, a comprehensive new article reviews the effects of expanding human populations on humanity’s most pressing environmental problems. by Alon Tal A vast amount of research and rhetoric is devoted to the world’s many sustainability challenges. Yet most advocates and scientists assiduously avoid acknowledging the predominant driver…
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Is Homo sapiens an invasive species?
The global spread and increase of the human species is exceptional and seems unmatched in the animal kingdom. Some researchers suggest we resemble so-called invasive species. Does the label fit? By Frank Götmark (This a translation of a Swedish essay published in Svenska Dagbladet on 30 March, slightly modified) Japanese oyster, raccoon dog, lupine –…
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A new definition of global overpopulation, explained and applied
Some environmentalists believe current environmental problems can be addressed successfully without reducing human numbers, while others disagree. Which side is right? Our new working paper tries to get to the bottom of the matter. by Philip Cafaro Recent years have brought a cascade of bad environmental news from around the world: melting glaciers and acidifying…
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Recent blog posts
- Population growth is still rapid. Has the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) forgotten family planning programs?
- The Most Appropriate Response to Falling Birthrates? Embrace Them
- New paper defends a pragmatic definition of overpopulation
- Because everyone else is (not) doing it: How social pressures may be the key to understand family size preferences
- The Psychology of our Strange Overpopulation Taboo
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