Population growth: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026

News •

Scientists predicted doomsday for November 13, 2026. Should we be worried? • Oct. 16, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (Science Daily)

Photos

Side-by-side line graphs compare exponential and logistic population growth. The exponential growth graph shows a curve rising steeply upward, while the logistic growth graph shows an S-shaped curve leveling off at the carrying capacity of the environment.

Line graph showing cyclical rises and falls in snowshoe hare and lynx populations from 1855 to 1925, with hare numbers peaking before lynx numbers, illustrating predator-prey dynamics. Snowy forest background and a legend with animal illustrations identify each species.

global warming scenarios

See All Images and Interactives →

Topics

environmental resistance population explosion zero population growth baby boom fertility rate birth rate population epidemiologic transition minimum viable population Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World Population density population pyramid species abundance Why Is Japan’s Population Decreasing?vital rates age distribution density-dependent factor

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

population ecology: Calculating population growth

Key People

Thomas Robert Malthus

Thomas Malthus

English economist and demographer

default image

Kingsley Davis

American sociologist

default image

Paul R. Ehrlich

American biologist and educator

default image

Jacques Bertillon

French statistician