Ma`rifat Eqtesadi

The relationship between population growth and economic growth is among the important topics in population economics studies. Using the analytical and econometric methods, this article seeks to examine the relationship between these two variables in the Islamic economic approach applied to the Iranian economy. Based on the research findings, increasing the Muslim population is inherently desirable in Islam, and reducing the population rate in Islamic societies is considered reprehensible. Economic growth is also desirable from the perspective of Islam and can lead to happiness and good life. Within this framework, population growth provides the conditions for economic growth. An analysis of Iranian economic data from 1989 to 2014 using the linear least squares (OLS) method shows that population growth has a positive and significant effect on economic growth. Also, variables such as net exports, private consumption, and investment have a positive and significant effect on economic growth. In the early stages, the increase in population growth was directly associated with economic growth, but in the short term, economic growth decreased due to the baby boom of the 1960s and the incomplete entry of the population into the cycle of economic activity. However, in the long term, the human resources and capacities have had a positive effect providing the basis for the country's economic growth.