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data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/science/population-growth">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref357284"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/population-growth#ref357284">Calculating population growth</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref357285"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/population-growth#ref357285">Population dynamics</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref357286"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/science/population-growth#ref357286">Human population growth</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-growth/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900 selected" href="/facts/population-growth">Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-growth/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/150639-050-C37A33AA/environment-populations-rate-growth-curve-competition-resources.jpg" data-href="/media/1/470439/281439" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/150639-004-5A7C80A0/environment-populations-rate-growth-curve-competition-resources.jpg" alt="Figure 1: Exponential versus logistic population growth" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/232574-050-A05B2CB2/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg" data-href="/media/1/470439/266751" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/232574-159-CC4280B5/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg" alt="Figure 2: Hare and lynx populations over time" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/106788-050-6913A60F/Graph-increase-climate-change-scenarios-Earth-surface.jpg" data-href="/media/1/470439/109628" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/106788-004-9E6F26FD/Graph-increase-climate-change-scenarios-Earth-surface.jpg" alt="global warming scenarios" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " 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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica" data-title="population growth" data-published-date="18 Dec. 2024" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/facts/population-growth" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs 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logistic population growth" /> <em class="material-icons zoom-icon position-absolute text-white d-flex" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> </div> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/232574-159-CC4280B5/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg" data-href="/media/1/470439/266751" class=" media-overlay-link " > <div class="image-container position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center justify-content-center"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/74/232574-159-CC4280B5/population-density-fluctuations-snowshoe-hare-predator-effect.jpg?h=150&q=80" alt="Figure 2: Hare and lynx populations over time" /> <em class="material-icons zoom-icon position-absolute text-white d-flex" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> </div> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/88/106788-004-9E6F26FD/Graph-increase-climate-change-scenarios-Earth-surface.jpg" data-href="/media/1/470439/109628" class=" media-overlay-link pr-20 " > <div class="image-container position-relative 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class="qa-related-topics">Related Topics and References</h3> <div class="label mb-10 mt-20">Topics</div> <div> <a href="/science/zero-population-growth" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">zero population growth</a><a href="/science/population-explosion" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">population explosion</a><a href="/topic/baby-boom-human-population" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">baby boom</a><a href="/science/environmental-resistance" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">environmental resistance</a><a href="/topic/fertility-rate" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">fertility rate</a><a href="/science/birth-rate" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">birth rate</a><a href="/science/population-biology-and-anthropology" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">population</a><a href="/topic/epidemiologic-transition" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">epidemiologic transition</a><a href="/science/minimum-viable-population" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">minimum viable population</a><a href="/topic/population-pyramid" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">population pyramid</a><a href="/science/vital-rates" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">vital rates</a><a href="/science/age-distribution" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">age distribution</a><a href="/science/mortality-demography" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">mortality</a><a href="/science/survivorship-curve" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">survivorship curve</a><a href="/science/fertility" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">fertility</a><a href="/topic/demographics" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">demographics</a><a href="/science/overpopulation" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-blue border-gray-200 mb-5 mr-5">overpopulation</a></div> <div class="alert my-20"> <div class="label mb-10">Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic</div> <ul class="list-column column-md-2"> <li> <a class="" href="/science/population-ecology/Calculating-population-growth">population ecology: Calculating population growth</a> </li> </ul> </div> <hr class="grey-box-line my-20" /> <h3 class="qa-key-people">Key People</h3> <div class="grid g-20"> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/19/10119-004-B9785405/Thomas-Robert-Malthus-detail-engraving-portrait-J-1833.jpg?h=400&w=300&c=crop" alt="Thomas Robert Malthus" /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/money/Thomas-Malthus">Thomas Malthus</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">English economist and demographer</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.131.7" class="default " /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Kingsley-Davis">Kingsley Davis</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">American sociologist</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.131.7" class="default " /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Paul-R-Ehrlich">Paul R. Ehrlich</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">American biologist and educator</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-50 col-md-33 col-lg-20"> <div class="card card-sm"> <div class="card-media" style="--aspect-ratio: 3/4"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-131/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.131.7" class="default " /> </div> <div class="card-body"> <a class="font-weight-bold text-hyphenate" href="/biography/Jacques-Bertillon">Jacques Bertillon</a> <div class="caption mt-5 text-hyphenate">French statistician</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <hr class="grey-box-line my-20" /> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <footer class="md-footer footer-wrapper hide-on-edit"> <div class="footer-bck"> <DIV class="marketing-FOOTER_NEWSLETTER marketing-content" data-marketing-id="FOOTER_NEWSLETTER"><div class="md-footer-newsletter-form pt-10 mb-30 mx-15 mx-sm-120"> <div class="font-18"> <strong>History at your fingertips –</strong> Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox! </div> <div class="p-30"> <div class="newsletter-form-container"> <form class="newsletter-form" method="post" action="/newsletter-subscription/EB_ON_THIS_DAY"> <div class="form-group grid d-flex justify-content-center"> <div class="col-sm-50 col-100"> <label class="sr-only" for="enter-your-email">Enter your email</label> <input id="enter-your-email" type="email" name="email" class="form-control font-18 p-10" placeholder="Enter your email" pattern="[a-z0-9._%+-]+@[a-z0-9.-]+\.[a-z]{2,4}$" required> </div> <div class="col-sm-auto col-100 mt-5 mt-sm-0"> <button type="submit" class="btn btn-outline-white" style="width: 100%; height:100%;">Subscribe</button> </div> </div> <div class="text-white pt-30 text-opacity"> By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.<br> Click here to view our <a class="link-white text-decoration-underline" href="https://corporate.britannica.com/privacy-policy2" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Privacy Notice</a>. 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