How did population growth change society?

Answer 1

China is a good case study for this question, because of its relatively homogenous population, centralised administration and long history. At intervals, the Chinese people developed new technologies that increased productivity and therefore resulted in a higher standard of living for the population as a whole. In this context, technology is a simpler concept than the electronics and mechanisation that we think of today, but the outcome for the prosperity of the people was similar. In some cases it was a new strain of rice or better irrigation techniques. With the rise in living standards came an increase in population, as infants had a better chance of surviving and having families of their own. Eventually the result of the increased population was a fall in the standard of living, because the available resources had to be shared among a larger number of people. China's population would stabilise when there was once again barely enough food for each person. In this case, population growth ensured that, over the long term, there was no real improvement in the lot of the people, regardless of the introduction of new technologies.