Child support laws are found among most contemporary societies, yet correlational research on the demographic effects of child support remains sparse. This study compared the child support systems of 91 nations against 21 social, economic, health and environmental variables using a novel dataset and nonparametric statistical tests. Mann-Whitney and median tests revealed that robust national child support systems – equipped with a high number of enforcement mechanisms, a designated administrative agency and/or a public child support assurance program – were associated with a host of trends including lower unintended pregnancy and abortion rates, lower infant and maternal mortality rates, lower birth rates, a more educated female population and a higher ratio of women in parliament. The analysis concludes that child support is closely linked to national population metrics signifying better social welfare, gender equality and slower population growth.
Irregular migration from the Global South to the Global North has increased alongside intensifying climate stress and persistent governance failure. Existing migration frameworks often examine environmental pressures and corruption separately, limiting their capacity to explain sustained irregular migration and the limited effectiveness of deterrence-based policies. This article proposes the Wheelbarrow Motion Theory to explain how climate stress and corruption interact to generate and sustain irregular migration. A critical narrative review was conducted using peer-reviewed literature, multilateral agency reports and policy evaluations published between 2000 and 2025, with empirical illustrations drawn from Africa, Latin America and South Asia. The review shows that climate stress erodes livelihoods and coping capacity, while corruption weakens adaptation, distorts relief delivery and restricts lawful mobility pathways. When these forces interact, displacement becomes structural and resistant to containment through border enforcement alone. Predominant policy responses centred on securitisation, deportation and migration externalisation have rerouted rather than reduced migration flows. Irregular migration is best understood as the outcome of interacting climate and governance failures rather than isolated drivers. Effective mitigation requires integrated approaches that combine climate adaptation, governance reform and expanded legal mobility options, rather than deterrence-centred strategies alone.
A high population is not only causing environmental problems, such as climate change, degradation and pollution, but also security threats, including food insecurity, water scarcity, unemployment, social conflict, violent extremism, resource-driven wars, and forced migration. If societies continue to view these threats in isolation and ignore population as a contributing factor, the security crisis will not be resolved long-term. Security is achievable, however, if governments make rational choices to reduce population via embracing reproductive ethics of small(er) families and provide affordable access to contraception to all those who ask for it. These are inexpensive interventions that deliver rapid returns, but a lack of political will reflects a lack of understanding that human reproduction has not only ethical, but also security implications. It is also essential to put emphasis on placing human and environmental security ahead of national security, because security is no longer a country- or region-specific matter, but rather a shared burden and one that humanity as a whole must (ethically) respond to.
Population dynamics play a pivotal role in development, exacerbating social, economic and environmental challenges. Yet, this factor remains largely understudied in undergraduate curricula in the United States. This study explores the perceptions of University of California (UC) faculty of the concept of population dynamics and its integration into their teaching. Through a mixed-methods approach, it investigates the meanings that faculty associate with this concept, the importance they attribute to it, and the barriers they face in teaching it. Findings reveal that UC faculty across multiple disciplines believe that understanding this topic is essential for college students’ future careers. However, study participants reported that population dynamics were infrequently integrated into undergraduate courses due to their interdisciplinary nature, lack of faculty training in demography and lack of prioritisation by the UC system. Other barriers to teaching this topic include the sensitive nature of associated themes like migration, family planning and gender norms. Our findings suggest that the teaching of this subject, as well as its integration into the curriculum, lacks a systematic and coordinated approach. Its inclusion (or lack thereof) depends largely on individual faculty’s preferences and their level of demographic expertise. The gap between its perceived importance and its representation in the curriculum highlights the need for universities to make a more consistent effort to support faculty in integrating this topic in meaningful ways. Adequate coverage of population dynamics within institutions of higher education will help students to increase awareness and contribute to efforts to address global demographic challenges.
Humanity’s impact on the planet has surpassed sustainable limits, driven by population growth, consumption and limited efficiency gains (Bradshaw et al., 2021; Ehrlich and Holdren, 1971). While consumption in the Global North remains excessive, welfare improvements in the Global South require some growth in consumption. A smaller global population would aid sustainability, yet the current population exceeds 8 billion – well above most estimates of a sustainable size (Crist et al., 2022). Although modern contraception has reduced fertility, over 120 million unintended pregnancies occur annually (Bearak et al., 2020), and induced abortion remains vital for achieving desired family size and stabilising population growth (Tietze and Bongaarts, 1957). This article examines countries with total fertility rates (TFR) at or below replacement level (2.1), where abortion laws remain restrictive, and explores how access to legal abortion influences reproductive autonomy, population stabilisation and long-term environmental sustainability.
The idea of a steady-state economy based on the relationship between population and land was first introduced in the writings of Plato (Laws) and Aristotle (Politics), both in the fourth century BC. Nineteen centuries later, in 1516, Thomas More published his Utopia. In this paper I argue that More’s Utopia is a steady state economy based on two fundamental institutions: public ownership of the means of production and democratic system of governance. What makes Utopia a steady state economy is the limited land (Utopia is an island) and the stability of population. Given that resources are limited the ‘Grow or Die’ motto of modern capitalism does not apply and therefore a different system of social values is developed in Utopia.
Despite technological progress, humanity suffers from (at least) two ills: it operates beyond planetary biophysical limits and continues to face unmet needs. This paper explores the intersection of medicine, economic wellbeing and ecological sustainability in the context of global resource scarcity. A conceptual classification of resource use – reasonable, wasteful, and negative externality-induced – is introduced to better understand the consumption and production forces shaping resource scarcity. Then I explore how medicine focused on prevention and reversal can reduce resource scarcity: by shifting consumption patterns toward healthier and more sustainable lifestyles, it both augments the human and non-human resource base of the economy and reduces demand for resource-intensive and environmentally damaging uses. Thus, it is concluded that Preventive and Reversive Medicine is a powerful (albeit unacknowledged) extant technology that simultaneously reduces resource scarcity and increases well-being and, critically, contributes to the disassociation of human well-being from environmental impact. The (wanted) side-effect of this process is more leeway for the global economy to provide a good life to all within planetary limits. This, I suggest, is essentially the ‘Consumption and Production Medicine’ that humanity needs.
Israel presents an anomalous fertility case: the non-Jewish sectors demonstrate dramatic fertility decline whereas the Jewish sectors maintain perplexingly high fertility rates. Traditional explanations of demographic trends focusing on economic development, educational level, women’s empowerment or contraceptive availability fall short in explaining the current situation. A national online survey (n=602) conducted in April – May 2020 explored a wide range of drivers of fertility behaviour trends. Descriptive analysis supported by further multivariate linear regression analysis identified congruence with social influence as central factor contributing to high fertility rates and the homogeneity within Israel’s disparate Jewish communities. Strong statistical correlation was found between answers to questions relating to desired family size, ideal family size, perceptions of average family size in one’s community and actual fertility. Additionally, the number of siblings and the number of children currently in a family affect fertility, whereas other demographic factors, including education and income levels, were not statistically significant. Increased understanding of these social factors can contribute to more effective population policies in Israel and other high-fertility countries.
This paper examines shifting perceptions of the primary barriers to global sustainability, focusing on three key dimensions: population growth, consumerism and power politics. While population growth has historically been viewed as a critical threat, its actual impact is mediated by unequal patterns of production and consumption. Consumerism, driven by globalised capitalism, emerges as a more decisive factor, entrenched in unsustainable development models. However, the most pressing obstacle today is the rise of denialist power politics, exemplified by the rhetoric and actions of leaders like Donald Trump, which undermine multilateral agreements and environmental policies. Drawing on scientific data, historical analysis and geopolitical critique, the paper argues that avoiding socio-ecological collapse requires urgent systemic and cultural transformations. It concludes that the narrowing window for effective action demands radical innovations in global governance and redefinitions of progress beyond material growth.
The increase in human longevity has been a factor in the increase in world population but the increase in human longevity has not been uniform across countries and within countries and this inequality is increasing, which is a matter of concern as regards sustainable development. Understanding the inequality in the increase in human longevity is important for determining appropriate health policies by providing insights into disparities in population health and mortality. This article highlights the inequality in the gain in life expectancy at birth in India in the period 1976–2020. The difference in gain in life expectancy at birth has been decomposed into gain attributed to improvement in mortality at different ages. The article calls for a decentralised approach to health policy and planning to address the challenge of differential gain in life expectancy at birth across mutually exclusive population groups within the country; and argues that a reduction of inequality in the gain in life expectancy at birth within the country may contribute to accelerating the increase in life expectancy at birth for the country, which remains low by international standards.
Human population growth has been identified as the primary cause of ecologically destructive phenomena. The evidence clearly shows that global human population growth proceeds as a function of the increasing food supply. Understanding and appreciating this reality is posited as a first step in successfully addressing human population growth.
Immigration will be the key factor determining whether populations in the developed world increase or decrease over the coming century. New policy-based population projections illustrate this for the United States. Expansive immigration policies could increase the US population by hundreds of millions by 2100, while more restrictive policies could lead to population stabilisation or significant reductions. For the US, there is no plausible high-immigration path to a sustainable population. Because larger populations increase human environmental impacts, sustainability advocates in the US and other countries with high net immigration levels have strong prima facie reasons to support immigration reductions. Such reductions could achieve smaller populations in receiver countries and encourage smaller populations in sender countries, contributing to global ecological sustainability.
