Abstract
40 years ago, humanity experienced a unique event in its history: the population growth rate reached a maximum (2 % per year) before beginning to decline. The phase of very strong growth that had preceded this maximum gave rise to great concern, reflected in calls for " zero growth " for both the world population and the world economy. However, the hypothesis of zero economic growth was scarcely considered seriously by economists, and the emergence of the notion of " sustainable development " shifted the debate towards other forms of growth rather than the idea of halting it. Yet the two objectives remain closely linked.
