During the next couple of decades, controlling population growth will become increasingly important in terms of the planet and its inhabitants. Although the rapid population growth of the planet is widely regarded as a global problem with wide-ranging consequences, it is difficult to come up with reasonable methods of controlling it. For example, different restrictions on giving birth to children are quite problematic, potentially violating human rights.

It was previously thought that population growth would be limited by the amount of food and energy production available on the planet. However, advancements in both food production and energy production have proven this hypothesis to be false. However, one significant problem is that the total amount of food and energy on planet Earth are distributed unevenly. In some areas, more food is produced than is necessary, while other areas suffer from yearly famines.


Water shortages are a common problem in many regions. Pakistan.

Population growth has led to water shortages in many areas. Shortages of water and other natural resources is thought to cause disagreements and even wars between neighbouring nations in the future. After this occurs, large numbers of refugees are likely to move to neighbouring countries or even further in the world.

The amount of pollution and waste is also estimated to increase drastically if the planet's population continues to grow at the current rate. As jobs and livelihoods continue to be concentrated in large cities, the risk of urban decay can also become a significant problem. This is already a problem in some developing countries.


The rapid movement of people from rural areas to large cities has resulted in slums in some cities of developing countries.​