... production could increase in an arithmetic ratio, the exponential growth of population would create increasing food prices, declining real wages and inevitably reach a point where the carrying capacity of the land would be outstripped by the number of people dependent on it. Here, "positive" checks would occur to reduce population such as famine, while "preventative" checks of voluntary constraint of early marriages would further alleviate the pressure, influenced by the relationship between living standards and real wages and nuptiality. Using Wrigley and Schofield (1981) data, the English population grew from 5 million at the beginning of the 18th century, to 8.6 million by 1800, and continued rising, reaching 16 million by the mid 19th century. According to Malthus's theory, this should be reflected in increasingly negative circumstances for the population; however, there was a growth rate of 0.6% per year during the 18th century in England, with real wages ...

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