bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Nicholas Wong Hei, 17  Sing Yin Secondary School

Yes.  Granted, a large population  helps ensure sufficient labour force in  an economy. Industrial growth helps  a country to rise, and  it requires a large labour force.

But, let's look at China.  People  say that China's growth is evidence that a large population  is not a burden. However,  China's rise is the result of the combined effects of success in national defence, economic revolution and the  flow of foreign capital. The large population did not directly lead to China's current economic success.

Another  question is  whether a large proportion of the  population in China  benefit from economic growth.  Many people there  live  below the poverty line. Foreign businessmen  are the ones who benefit.

Everyone wants fairness, freedom and human rights.   In order to be fair, the resources of a country  should be allocated equally to every citizen.

That is fine for a country with a small population. But   in a large country, the amount of resources allocated to each individual is so small that it cannot raise the living standards.   If a select group of people lead the development of  a country,  it is  unfair to those who are not chosen.

If a country is not wealthy, it often relies on foreign investment. This often leads to exploitation of the local work force. The government usually has little to say about the foreign investors as the financial help it receives  is essential to support its expenses.

Medical costs  increase enormously in a large country where the population growth is  very rapid,    too.

While a large population provides a large workforce, it also creates a burden.

Phoenix Lee Ching-kwan, 18

Tin Ka Ping Secondary School

Not really. A large population has always been  regarded as  a root cause of poverty and most of the poorest countries in the world have huge populations.

But is it a burden? I don't think so. Poverty

is dependent on that country's financial situation. Environmental factors  ought to be considered, too.

A large population increases demand for food, land, accommodation, fuel and so forth.  With sufficient economic support, all of these demands can be satisfied.

In many developed countries, the local supply of resources is  supplemented by imports. Hong Kong has a very high population -  it is known  as one of the most densely populated  places in the world. There is hardly any primary industry here but thanks to a well developed economy, we can afford to import foods, fuel and even water. Land pressure here is  indisputably high, yet I don't think it makes the population a 'burden'.

On the mainland,  a large population has been a central concern for the authorities since the 1940s. That  is the reason for the 'one-child policy', which addresses the  problem by restricting growth. However, as the years have gone by, China has undergone economic advancement,  and  is much more prosperous than  in the past.

So although the population is still high, the problems it brings are easing because of increased wealth.

A large population  can be beneficial because it  provides a pool of labour.

So while a big population can be a burden, it can also be an advantage. The situation varies from country to country.



Is a large population a burden to a country?