population explosion

noun

1. the rapid increase in numbers of a particular species, especially in the world's human population since the end of World War II, attributed to an accelerating birthrate, a decrease in infant mortality, and an increase in life expectancy.

population explosion

noun

1. a rapid increase in the size of a population caused by such factors as a sudden decline in infant mortality or an increase in life expectancy

Word History and Origins

Origin of population explosion¹

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Example Sentences

Warming waters coupled with a population explosion of sea urchins that feed on seaweed have decimated the kelp forests along California’s coastline.

From MIT Technology Review

Just as the widespread installation of air conditioning redefined life in much of the Sun Belt, leading to a population explosion from the 1970s onward, the Pacific Northwest’s “natural air conditioning” has always been a core of its appeal.

From Washington Post

I could see trends of population explosions and animal populations diminishing.

From Nautilus