thomas malthus was an english economist and demographer who is best known for his theory of population. in 1798, he published an essay on the principle of population, in which he argued that the population of the world would grow faster than the supply of food, leading to widespread poverty and suffering. malthus argued that population growth would be checked by "positive checks," such as famine and disease, and "preventative checks," such as late marriage and contraception.
malthus' theory was controversial at the time, and it has continued to be the subject of debate among economists and other scholars. while some of his predictions have not come to pass, his ideas have had a lasting impact on economic thought and have influenced public policy debates on issues related to population and resource use.
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