Population Matters vision is a world in which humanity lives fairly and sustainably with nature and each other.

Population Matters works to confront one of the world’s most urgent yet overlooked challenges: the impact of human population growth on environmental destruction.

We work to tackle the causes and effects of population growth and unsustainable resource consumption to build a fairer, more sustainable world for everyone. 

We inspire, engage, and promote solutions that improve the lives of individuals while protecting our planet. 

We deliver our mission through collaborative partnerships, that enable individuals, organisations, and policymakers, to integrate population considerations into their work.  

How does Population Matters deliver its mission? 

Through evidence-based research and data-driven advocacy we highlight both the challenges, and we uncover solutions rooted in facts, ethics, and respect for human rights. Our analysis investigates the causes and effects of population growth – which are often rooted in inequality – and the consequences of unsustainable resource consumption on people, wildlife, and the planet.

Through our evidence-based research and global insights, we build awareness and enhance the capacity of our partners, policymakers, and decision-makers to tackle the impact of human population growth on wildlife and environmental destruction. 

Is Population Matters a Malthusian organisation?  

No. We advocate voluntary, rights-based solutions focused on strengthening access to education and evidence-based information, gender equality, human rights, and sustainability. We categorically reject Malthusian ideology – Malthus’ theories promoted fear-based narratives and coercion, which we strongly oppose. We recognise that poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation are driven by economic and political structures, not just population growth. A more sustainable world is built on implementing human rights centred decision-making and investment rooted in the principles of justice, empowerment, and equity.   

How does Population Matters collaborate with PARTNERS?

We work with a range of international and grassroots organisations, through our Empower to Plan initiative, which aims to strengthen women’s leadership by providing funding to community-led projects. The projects improve access to reproductive health services, education, and tackle climate injustice. We also contribute to policy discussions on sustainability, ensuring that population dynamics are considered within wider human rights and environmental debates.  By integrating these perspectives, we promote policies that are ethical, sustainable, and grounded in social justice.  

why is it so difficult to talk about population?  

Population is a difficult issue to talk about as it’s a large, complicated topic that a lot of people don’t understand outside of a simple idea of the numbers of people. That’s why our strategy focuses on how to communicate the interlinkages between population and climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource pressure, and how population is an interconnected driver of the multiple environmental crises the world is facing.

There is a contentious history surrounding population as well, but again our strategy aims to destigmatise the word population and define it with human rights, environmental sustainability, for the wellbeing of people and the planet, at the heart of it. Our work will open up the conversation on population, for it to be continued for many years to come.