Malthus population theory stated that the population may outgrow the means of subsistence. This means that if the population continues to grow at a faster rate than the food supply, people will eventually face a crisis of overpopulation and starvation. According to Malthus, this crisis would occur because population tends to increase geometrically while food supply increases only arithmetically. Therefore, Malthus argued that population growth should be controlled through measures such as late marriages and celibacy to avoid the catastrophe of overpopulation.