growth

Growth is a process by which an entity increases in size, number, value, or complexity over time. It is a common descriptor in natural and social sciences, economics, and everyday usage, and it often depends on resources, conditions, and inherent potential. Growth can be measured or modeled in various ways, and it may be bounded by limits such as carrying capacity, saturation, or policy.

In biology, growth refers to the increase in size and mass of organisms, typically through cell division and expansion. It is regulated by genetic programs and environmental factors such as nutrition, hormones, and temperature. Growth can occur at tissue, organ, and organism levels, and can involve changes in cell number (hyperplasia) or cell size (hypertrophy). Growth patterns are often depicted with growth curves that show phases of rapid expansion followed by stabilization.

Economic growth denotes the sustained increase in a country's productive capacity, commonly measured as real GDP over time. It reflects increases in labor productivity, capital stock, education, technology, and institutions. Growth can be steady or irregular and is analyzed with models that consider resources, demography, trade, and policy. Long-run growth is distinct from short-term fluctuations due to business cycles or shocks.

Population growth concerns changes in the number of people in a population, driven by birth rates, death rates, and net migration. Demographic transitions, aging, and urbanization can alter growth trajectories and have wide-ranging social and environmental effects.

Growth can also describe personal development or mathematical phenomena, such as exponential, logistic, or Gompertz growth, which describe how quantities increase and eventually level off or accelerate under different conditions.