Final answer:
The assertion that higher population growth in developing countries necessarily leads to lower economic growth is false. Developing countries can and have experienced high economic growth rates despite high population growth. Economic growth is influenced by multiple factors beyond population, including technology, policies, and trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that higher population growth rates in developing countries compared to industrial nations results in lower economic growth in low-income countries is false. Economic literature suggests that the relationship between population growth and economic growth is complex and not one-directional. Indeed, some developing countries have demonstrated high rates of economic growth despite high population growth rates.
Data shows that certain low-income and middle-income economies have experienced a pattern of convergence, with their economies sometimes growing faster than those of high-income countries. For example, GDP in these emerging economies increased by an average rate of 2.7% per year in the 1990s and 2.3% per year from 2000 to 2008, which was, in some cases, higher than the growth rates in high-income countries during the same periods.
Thus, economic growth rates in developing nations are influenced by a variety of factors, such as technological advancements, capital accumulation, policy choices, and international trade dynamics, in addition to population growth rates. The demographic transition model also explains why countries may experience high population growth rates and still achieve economic development as they transition from high mortality and fertility to low mortality and fertility.