Stabilising population critical for a just society

July 9, 2026

Mark Diesendorf could have spelt out a ninth economic myth, namely, that population growth is necessary for a healthy economy. He did, however, advocate for a circular economy, one which “has no net growth in the use of materials, energy and land, and no population growth”.

While energy from the sun may be infinite, in other respects, we live on a finite planet. Every new person requires food, shelter and clothing and for that, resources are required. Every new person creates waste, including carbon dioxide, just from breathing. It doesn’t matter if people reduce their consumption or ‘footprint’ significantly, they still make demands on the planet.

We still grow by 70 million a year globally. That has to come down to zero as soon as possible. It can be achieved through universal access to contraception, equality for women and education for girls. Cultural preferences for large families are an obstacle, however, state-led, non-coercive campaigns for smaller families are possible, as witnessed in many countries. The people of Thailand, for instance, were finally able to throw off the shackles of poverty once the two-child family became the norm after a positive, indeed joyous, campaign led by Melbourne-educated economist Dr Mechai Viravaidya.