h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It was occouring to me the other day that this island is feeling a bit crowded , or at least the SE corner is . Which made me ponder about what would be the ideal size of population for a nation this size .
My thoughts were that it would have to be large enough to ensure that a modern society would function with all its pleasures and neccesities ie; the arts , health care , education . But it would also need to be able to live sustainably . Any ideas ?

World average population density is around 45 people per square km. The UK has a density of 246 people per square km. So, just to get down to the world average, the UK (pop. 61m) would have a population of around 11m.

RF

Me, a dozen Playgirls and a Dominos.

Are you and your playgirls good at cooking pizza then?

Details, details

I think it depends very much on what sort of economy you want. I mean, are we talking international free trade (so we wont need so much land for agriculture but we do need to produce something to trade?) or self sufficiency or somewhere in the middle? Are we going GM or organic or again, somwehere in the middle?

Surely the resources are what defines the ideal population?

I read recently that there's a mood in the Falkland Islands for independence. Perhaps stimulated by the fact they've just discovered they're sitting on 18bn barrels of oil (I couldn't possibly comment). Is somewhere with a permanent population of 3060 self-sustainable?

>> Is somewhere with a permanent population of 3060 self-sustainable? <<

Only so long as they stay outside the EU.

RF

Oil in the Falkland Islands?

Well that has some potential for conflict now doesn't it

SWL : I read your post and I am thinking why does SWL want dominos ?, and then I am thinking thats what the Playgirls are for ...to play domino's with
So what sort of economy would I like ?. Well I was thinking something in the middle , concentrate on the things that really matter ie. quality of life , health and the enviroment .

I think what I was getting at was although very small populations are viable , everybody would be working from dawn till dusk trying to grow enough to eat . It would seem to me , correct me if I am wrong , that you need a fairly large population in order to have a modern society , to work in factories , to make the machines , to grow the food , so that frees up people to become doctors , teachers , artists etc.
As you can probably tell I do not have a ba in economics .

"I think what I was getting at was although very small populations are viable , everybody would be working from dawn till dusk trying to grow enough to eat ."

You seem to be looking at it from the perspective of a completely self-contained, isolationist country with no trading or other links to the rest of the world. Is the small country not able to import food or other things?

Then again, perhaps you're right. To do that they'd need something valuable to trade - and countries, when small enough, seem have the habit of being relieved of such desirables by larger ones.

It's an interesting question. But it does beg another; ideal for what?

<>

I'd imagine 5-10m would be enough. With modern technology machines and factories are less dependent on armies of workers than ever. Likewise agriculture. Service industries are much more labour-intensive though, so there might not be enough for a huge marketing industry, or life coaches, but would that be a bad thing?

"World average population density is around 45 people per square km".

And does that include the sea?

>> And does that include the sea? <<

Nope. But then, I left merpeople out of the population side of the calculation as well.

RF

Atlantisist-ist

Would reducing the population , say by half , increase the quality of life overall ?

Depends which half

If you lot keep streaming down here at your present rate then you'll have a new county called Western Australia or possibly Far North Coast New South Wales and the population will go down...

Nah, too hot for me. Parts of NZ appeal though... But Canada's more my style.

Anyway, I think we're discovering why the lower-paid worker is vital to an economy as we understand and live it. Someone's gotta do the bin emptying, toilet cleaning, machine repairs and boxing up goods for sale...