Why has the human population increased so much in the last few centuries, although we actually invented effective birth control methods?

Question

Why has the human population increased so much in the last few centuries, although we actually invented effective birth control methods?

In: 211

Answer 1

Kids don’t drop dead like flies anymore.

People used to have huge families not just because of a lack of birth control, but also to offset all the children dying. Once we got better medical care, and food to sustain a higher population, the big family sizes lead to a huge jump in population.

Now with better medical care the population is still growing (more generations alive at a time) but at a alower rate as people are having fewer kids.