โ™ป๏ธap environmental science review

Malthusian theory

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2027 exam
Verified for the 2027 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025

Definition

A theory proposing that human population grows exponentially while food supply grows linearly, leading to inevitable resource scarcity and population limitation; foundational to understanding population limits.

AP course connection

Topic 3.8: 3.8 Human Population Dynamics

Unit 3