Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022)

Ko, Jeremy; Xin, Chuangjian; Ridwan, Mohammad; Guo, Chunlan; Leung, Chun Kai

doi:10.3390/soc16010010

Open AccessArticle

Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022)

by

Jeremy Ko

¹

,

Chuangjian Xin

²

,

Mohammad Ridwan

³,

Chunlan Guo

⁴ and

Chun Kai Leung

^5,6,*

¹

Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland

²

School of Governance and Policy Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

³

Department of Economics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh

⁴

Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

⁵

Global Society and Sustainability Lab, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

⁶

Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Societies 2026, 16(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16010010

Submission received: 15 October 2025 / Revised: 18 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 December 2025 / Published: 26 December 2025

Download Versions Notes

Abstract

This study, based on the Neo-Malthusian framework, examines the association between population growth, resource scarcity, and political instability in 128 developing countries from 1960 to 2022. Results show that rapid population growth is associated with higher levels of political instability. This association appears stronger in low-income countries, which generally exhibit weaker institutions, limited fiscal capacity, and lower carrying capacity that coincide with greater sociopolitical tensions and inequalities. In contrast, high-income developing countries tend to show greater resilience, associated with stronger governance and technological adaptability. The findings highlight the importance of policies that strengthen governance, enhance resource management, and promote sustainable development to address potential instability risks associated with demographic pressures.

Keywords: population growth; political instability; developing countries; neo-Malthusian; governance; resource scarcity; carrying capacity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ko, J.; Xin, C.; Ridwan, M.; Guo, C.; Leung, C.K. Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022). Societies 2026, 16, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16010010

AMA Style

Ko J, Xin C, Ridwan M, Guo C, Leung CK. Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022). Societies. 2026; 16(1):10. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16010010

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ko, Jeremy, Chuangjian Xin, Mohammad Ridwan, Chunlan Guo, and Chun Kai Leung. 2026. "Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022)" Societies 16, no. 1: 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16010010

APA Style

Ko, J., Xin, C., Ridwan, M., Guo, C., & Leung, C. K. (2026). Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022). Societies, 16(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16010010

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Growth and Strife: A Malthusian Perspective on Population and Political Instability in Developing Countries (1960–2022)

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI