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But journalist Louisa Schneider has taken to TikTok to call it out for what it really is - a “dangerous” lie. “They want us to believe that the climate crisis is caused by ‘overpopulation.’ “But we have enough resources for everyone!” the text of her video read. “This isn’t a population crisis. It’s a distribution crisis.” “And the myth of overpopulation? It’s not just wrong - it’s dangerous.” For all the latest science and technology news — download the news.com.au app direct to your phone. According to Schneider, the real problem isn’t how many people exist - it’s how a small fraction of them are hoarding and burning through the planet’s resources. The global population has skyrocketed over the past century - now sitting above 8.2 billion - but scientists say the growth rate peaked more than 60 years ago. Data scientist Hannah Ritchie from Our World in Data says the world’s population growth rate hit its high point in 1963, and has been declining ever since. Fertility rates are now falling so fast in many countries that some governments are scrambling to boost birthrates, not lower them. So if a rapid population increase isn’t to blame, then what is? Schneider pointed to a 2023 Oxfam report which found the richest 1 per cent of the world’s population were responsible for as much carbon pollution in 2019 as two-thirds of everyone else combined. That same year, their emissions alone were estimated to have caused more than 1.3 million heat-related deaths, Oxfam putting it bluntly: the super-rich “burned through their share of the global carbon budget” within the first 10 days of the year. Private jets emit 10-20 times more per passenger than commercial flights, while superyachts can burn hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel annually, and ultra-large homes - aka luxury mansions - consume enormous energy for heating, cooling, and maintenance. Meanwhile, the poorest half of the planet accounts for less than 10 per cent of total global emissions. A separate 2025 Nature Climate Change study backed this up, finding the wealthiest 10 per cent of people were responsible for roughly two-thirds of global heating since 1990. The top 1 per cent alone caused 20 per cent, while the ultra-elite 0.1 per cent were behind about 8 per cent. Schneider warns that throughout history, the overpopulation belief has been used to justify racist and unfair policies - from forced sterilisation and limiting reproductive rights to blaming poorer countries for problems they didn’t create. “It’s a narrative that protects the rich and punishes the poor,” she said. “It distracts us from holding billionaires and corporations accountable.” And that’s exactly why experts agree it’s so harmful. Blaming the masses for the actions of a tiny elite lets those most responsible for the crisis continue unchecked - while shifting guilt onto everyday people just trying to live their lives. “We’ve been told the myth that we’re just too many. Too many people. Not enough food. Not enough homes. Not enough resources,” Schneider captioned her videowhich has now amassed over 4 million views. “But the truth? We produce enough food for 10 billion. There are more empty homes than unhoused people. Our wardrobes could clothe 7 generations. The richest 20 per cent consume 80 per cent of global resources. “So no - the problem isn’t how many we are. It’s who has access to what.” Schneider’s followers were quick to agree: “It is indeed the overpopulation… of billionaires,” one wrote. These days there are more billionaires in the world than ever before. In 2024, the number of people with a net worth over a billion dollars rose to 2,769, up from 2,565 in 2023. According to Forbes, as of early 2025 there are 3,028 billionaires globally with a total net worth of about $A25 trillion - nearly $A3 trillion more than the previous year. Schneider’s takeaway? The Earth doesn’t have a people problem - it has a power problem.
