What are the main factor of optimum theory of population?
The founders of the theory state it as “Given the natural resources, stock of capital and the state of technical knowledge, there will be a definite size of population with the per capita income. The population which has the highest per capita income is known as optimum population”.
Who propounded optimum theory of population?
Edwin Cannan
The optimum theory of population was propounded by Edwin Cannan in his book Wealth published in 1924 and popularised by Robbins, Dalton and Carr-Saunders. Unlike the Malthusian theory, the optimum theory does not establish relationship between population growth and food supply.
What are the characteristics of optimum population?
Thus optimum population yields highest quality of life, which means each person has access to adequate food, water, energy and air of highest quality, adequate medical care, recreational facilities and cultural outlets.
What is Malthus theory on population?
The Malthusian theory explained that the human population grows more rapidly than the food supply until famines, war or disease reduces the population. He believed that the human population has risen over the past three centuries.
What is optimum theory?
By optimum population we mean the ideal number of population that a country should have considering its resources. The optimum size of population is which along with the existing natural resources and a given state of technology, yields the highest income per capita in a country.
What is the basic concept of optimum population?
The term optimum population may be defined as a density of population which with the given resources and skills, produces the maximum (greatest) economic welfare (usually the maximum income per capita) or allows the highest standard of living.
What is optimum population answer?
The optimum population is a concept where the human population is able to balance maintaining a maximum population size with optimal standards of living for all people.
What are the advantages of optimum population?
If the population is above the optimum size, the country will be able to make better use of its resources. ii. The size of markets will increase. This should enable firms to take greater advantage of economies of scale.
What is population theory explain optimum population theory What is the impact of population growth?
As the population continues to increase, a point will finally be reached when capital and natural resources are fully utilized and, therefore, output per capita will be the highest. The level of population at which per capita output or real income is the maximum is called the optimum population.
What is Thomas Malthus theory?
Thomas Malthus was an 18th-century British philosopher and economist noted for the Malthusian growth model, an exponential formula used to project population growth. The theory states that food production will not be able to keep up with growth in the human population, resulting in disease, famine, war, and calamity.
What is Cornucopian theory?
cornucopian, label given to individuals who assert that the environmental problems faced by society either do not exist or can be solved by technology or the free market. The term cornucopian is derived from the ancient Greek “horn of plenty.”
What is optimum population simple?
Why was the optimum theory of population developed?
The Optimum Theory of Population appeared as a reaction to the Malthusian theory. Criticizing the approach of the Malthusian Theory of Population, modern economists Edwin Cannan and Carr Saunders of London School of Economics have developed a new theory known as Optimum Theory of Population. It is also called modern theory of population.
Which is a weakness of the optimum theory?
The first weakness of the optimum theory is that it is difficult to say whether there is anything like an optimum population. There is no evidence about the optimum population level in any country. The optimum level of population is impossible to measure quantitatively.
What is the relationship between Malthusian and Optimum Population Theory?
However, the Malthusian Theory deals with the relationship between population growth and food supply, while the Theory of Optimum Population studies the relationship between population size and the production of wealth.
Is the optimum population a quantitative or qualitative concept?
Optimum population is not just an economic concept but qualitative in nature. Prof. Cannan has correctly remarked, “It is being perpetually altered by the progress of knowledge and other changes affecting the economic system. It is, thus, a dynamic concept. It may be higher or lower as different methods of production are used.”