The malthusian theory of population is best illustrated when

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which situation best illustrates the Malthusian theory of population.

Step 2: The concept Thomas Robert Malthus (1798, An Essay on the Principle of Population) argued that:

• Population grows in a geometric progression (1, 2, 4, 8, 16...)
• Food supply grows in an arithmetic progression (1, 2, 3, 4, 5...)

Because population grows much faster than food production, a time comes when there is not enough food to feed everyone. Malthus said this is checked by:

• Positive checks: famine, disease, war (these raise the death rate)
• Preventive checks: moral restraint, late marriage (these lower the birth rate)

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Population equal to resources describes the optimum population idea, not Malthus. ❌
• B. Both growing at the same rate contradicts Malthus's central claim. ❌
• C. Food growing faster than population is the opposite of his theory. ❌
• D. Population increasing much faster than food supply matches the geometric versus arithmetic idea exactly. ✅

Step 4: Answer

Tip: Remember "Population = Geometric, Food = Arithmetic." Whenever you see Malthus, think "population outruns food," which leads to famine, disease, and war. Don't confuse this with optimum population, where resources and population are in balance.