Is human progress linked to population growth?

Mark (No)

There is absolutely zero correlation between human progress and population growth. The exact opposite has proven to be the case. Population growth increases the potential for global and civil conflict, which is regressive by nature. Studies conclude that population growth and impoverishment are not mutually exclusive. The more population grows, the harder it is for many to achieve a higher quality of daily life, leading to resource scarcity. 

There is also a direct link between the surge in population to the 2020 pandemic. A density in population lead to a faster spread of disease. Unemployment rates will also be a factor as the population continues to grow. In some cases, people outnumber the amount of jobs or welfare services available. When population was smaller overall, innovation was more consistent, and stress levels were lower. 

As far as overcrowding and urbanization go, major cities show how in the last decade how impossible daily life can be due to population increase. High population density creates overcrowding in cities, producing more pollution, traffic congestion, inadequate housing, and reduced quality of life. These challenges hinder progress.

Population growth even causes the cost of living to increase. Resources are systematically depleted, as there isn't enough time to mass-produce items to keep up with the surge in demand. Additionally, increased population growth significantly impacts the environment (as seen in deforestation, pollution, and a warmer climate), making more places on Earth unlivable and unsustainable. It has become alarmingly clearer the serious trouble caused by overpopulation, including economic inequality/disparity, the pressure put on healthcare and social service systems, and the potential for culture clashes as groups with vastly differing worldviews continue to interact. All of this and more challenges human progress, affecting us now and for generations to come.

Elisa (Yes)

Human population growth is directly linked to human progress, producing the world's most relied-upon advancements and changes, such as medical achievements in antibiotics/vaccines, more mothers and children surviving birth, increased public health and welfare programs, and improved sanitation. HumanProgress explains that 'sustained innovation' is mainly driven by population growth and freedom, writing, 'Knowledge creation starts with new ideas that originate in the human mind. More minds generate more ideas.' We need more people to create innovative and diverse ideas for our society to flourish ideologically.

The Industrial Revolution demonstrates the correlation between population growth and human progress. The Industrial Revolution changed the world forever due to a growing, demanding, and innovative human population. Similarly, as technological discoveries and quality of living increased, so has life expectancy throughout the 20th-21st centuries. Poverty has also declined overall as human population grows innovation increases.

Likewise, having fewer or no children is a disastrous concept that needs no celebration. According to BBC, 'the distribution of working-age populations will be crucial to whether humanity prospers or withers. To put it simply, we need growth in a working-age population to make human progress.' Further, according to the CATO Institute, our air is cleaner when more people are more educated, and people are much safer overall, despite tremendous population growth in the past century. 

Increased population paired with increased migration even brings about cultural exchanges, leading to inclusiveness and the sharing of diverse ideas. Given that and the following facts—that growing populations lead to an increased labor force and consumer base, stimulating economic growth and scientific, medical, and technological innovation, thus improving society's overall prosperity—people are the ultimate resource in pursuing human progress.