5.3.4 Degrowth / Post-growth

Helpful prior knowledge and learning objectives

Helpful prior learning:

Section 1.1.1 The economy and you, which explains what an economy is and how it is relevant to students’ lives
Section 1.1.2 The embedded economy, which explains the relationship between the economy and society and Earth’s systems
Section 5.1.1 The state as a system, which defines the state, its parts and their relationships, and some ways to classify states
Section 5.1.3 Functions of the state, which explains the various roles of the state in providing goods and services, protecting the population, and stabilising and guiding change
Section S.1 What are systems?, which explains what a system is, the importance of systems boundaries, the difference between open and closed systems and the importance of systems thinking
Section S.2 Systems thinking patterns, which outlines the core components of systems thinking: distinctions (thing/other), systems (part/whole), relationships (action/reaction), and perspectives (point/view)
Section S.3 Systems diagrams and models, which explains the systems thinking in some familiar information tools as well as the symbols used to represent parts/wholes, relationships and perspectives.
Section S.5 Causal loops, feedback and tipping points, which explains the feedback loops that can stabilise or destabilise systems.
Section S.8 Leverage points, which explains the different areas of a system that we can influence to bring system change

Section S.8 Leverage points, which describes various leverage points for systems change
Section S.9 System traps, which explains how system structures, like reinforcing feedback, too weak or late balancing feedback, and/or pursuing flawed goals, can create persistent problems.

Learning objectives:

discuss the concept of degrowth and its challenges

In 2021, the Spanish government launched a trial of a four-day work week. Workers at participating companies kept full salaries while working fewer hours. The goal was simple: improve well-being, share work more fairly, and reduce emissions from commuting and overproduction. Some companies reported better focus, lower energy use, and stronger teamwork.

Importantly, the trial didn’t aim to grow the economy. It asked a deeper question: can we thrive with less?

A photograph of Kate Raworth during her TED Talk on the Doughnut model along with a quote that says "We have economies that grow, whether or not they make us thrive. We need economies that make us thrive, whether or not they grow."

Figure 1. Human and ecological thriving, not growth, is the goal.

(Credit: Still from Kate Raworth’s TED Talk)

What is degrowth?

Degrowth is a planned and democratic shift away from an economy that always aims to grow, even when growth harms people or the planet. It focuses on well-being, fairness, and sufficiency, meeting human needs within Earth’s limits.

In high-income countries, this could mean shrinking harmful sectors like fossil fuels, fast fashion, or unhealthy foods, and expanding essential ones like public transport, healthcare, care work, and education.

Degrowth is not the same as a recession. A recession is when the size of the economy shrinks for a period of time. It’s unplanned, chaotic and causes serious problems like job losses, rising poverty, and cuts to public services.

Degrowth is different. It is planned to avoid harm by protecting employment, reducing resource use fairly and supporting a good life for all within planetary boundaries. Through a degrowth process, we could reach a new post-growth economy.

An illustration of a rollercoaster, showing the cars moving upwards (growth), then going down (degrowth) then moving to a circular ferriswheel (representing post-growth)

Figure 2. Moving from a growth economy to a degrowth and post-growth economy.

(Credit: Beyond the Roadmdap)

Degrowth also supports global justice. In poorer countries, sufficiency may mean more housing, water, education, and energy. Degrowth in wealthier countries can free up resources and ecological space to support the social foundation elsewhere.

Households and communities are already making changes, but real degrowth requires large-scale transformation. As explained in Section 5.1.6, this means we need an entrepreneurial, mission-oriented state leading bold change and investing in building a regenerative economy.

What strategies are there for degrowth?

Degrowth strategies aim to improve human well-being while reducing the damage caused by overproduction and overconsumption. A 2024 study called Measuring the Doughnut found that it is possible for our economies to meet human needs and live well within planetary boundaries. There are many strategies we can use to do this.

Reshaping production and consumption

Degrowth means producing less overall, but producing better. It involves phasing out harmful goods like private jets, oversized SUVs, unhealthy food, and fast fashion and focusing on the activities that support human and ecological wellbeing.

In France, polluting vehicles face extra taxes. Cities like Paris and Milan are converting car-heavy roads into spaces for walking and cycling, cutting emissions and improving daily life.

Figure 3. Degrowth means that some less necessary parts of the economy shrink, while other more necessary parts of the economy expand.

(Credit: Beyond the Roadmdap)

Rethinking work and ownership

Shorter working hours help share jobs more fairly and give people more time for rest, family, and community. A trial in Iceland tested a 35-hour week with no pay cut. Workers reported less stress and more satisfaction, while productivity remained stable.

Degrowth also rethinks business ownership (Section 3.3.4). Cooperatives are run by workers or users. Instead of focusing on profit for outside owners, cooperatives often focus on meeting local needs, sharing income fairly, and making democratic decisions. Steward-owned businesses are structured to protect their social or environmental mission over the long term. Both business ownership models support fairer pay and stronger local economies.

Degrowth also encourages rethinking ownership of things (Figure 4). Instead of everyone claiming their own tools, vehicles and space, degrowth policies support a sharing economy that reduces waste and builds trust in communities.

A screenshot of a website with a library of things that people can rent, rather than buy.

Figure 4. Digital apps support commoning, like this Library of Things, where people can rent things they need, rather than buying them

(Credit: Library of Things)

Ensuring income and meaningful work

Degrowth proposals include universal basic income (UBI) and job guarantees. These strategies offer security during economic changes and support a fairer transition as we shrink harmful industries.

UBI gives everyone a regular payment to cover basic needs. It allows people to take part in unpaid, but important activities like caring for others or regenerating local ecosystems.

Job guarantees are another approach, providing state-funded paid work in roles that benefit people and nature. In France, the Territoires Zéro Chômeur de Longue Durée programme (Figure 5) creates community-based jobs for the long-term unemployed. The work avoids waste and responds to local needs.

An illustration showing the different types of work available in the French programme mentioned in the text.

Figure 5. Examples of job guarantee activities offered through Territoires Zéro Chômeur de Longue Durée

(Credit: Adapted from Territoires Zéro Chômeur de Longue Durée)

Expanding public services and shared spaces

Degrowth supports providing universal basic services (UBS) like healthcare, housing, education, and transport. These reduce the need for high private incomes and allow people to live well with less consumption. Many countries offer at least some of these, especially healthcare and education. But expanding these services would provide more security and freedom. In Vienna, more than half the population lives in public or cooperative housing, with lower rents compared to other major cities.

Public services can also be public luxuries. Good public transport means fewer cars. Parks, community spaces and recreation facilities allow shared enjoyment. This idea of public luxury, private sufficiency helps everyone live well while using fewer resources.

A photograph of a doctor examining a baby sitting in the lap of its mother.

Figure 6. Universal health care is one of the most important strategies for human wellbeing.

(Credit: World Bank Photo Collection CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Figure 7. Who needs a private swimming pool when you have a clean river? Oberer Letten free public swimming area, Zürich, Switzerland

(Credit: Yago Veith CC BY-SA 3.0)

Shaping demand: Rethinking advertising and product design

Advertising strongly influences what we want and buy, creating artificial needs and pushes people to buy more than they require. Some cities, like Den Haag, Netherlands and Edinburgh, Scotland have banned public ads for fossil fuels and air and cruise travel. This reduces pressure to buy products with high negative ecological impact and makes space for messages that support wellbeing. Degrowth advocates would push for even more restrictions.

Degrowth also recommends banning planned obsolescence, when businesses design products to break or become outdated quickly, and making products more transparent so people can make better choices. In 2020, France passed the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy Law, which includes rules to reduce plastic waste, encourage recycling, and ban the destruction of unsold goods. One part of the law introduced a repairability index (Figure 8) for electronics, helping consumers choose longer-lasting products and pushing companies to design things that are easier to fix.

An illustration of the French repairability index.

Figure 8. The French repairability index helps consumers choose products that are more easily repaired. A higher index number means more easily repaired.

(Credit: Chloé Mikolajczak)

Relocalising economies and reducing dependence on global supply chains

Degrowth supports relocalisation, shifting economic activity closer to home (Section 3.4.3 and Section 4.2.3). Local food systems, renewable energy cooperatives, and repair hubs reduce global supply chain impacts and increase resilience. Local economies can better meet real needs and support cultural diversity, strengthen social bonds, and reduce the ecological damage caused by global supply chains focused on speed and profit.

Figure 9. Farmers’ markets bring people in the local community together and can be a place for many types of social interactions.

(Credit: Tony Wu, Pexels licence)

Making it fair: Redistribution and predistribution

Fairness is essential to degrowth. Fairness is essential to degrowth. Today, wealthier households use reinforcing feedback loops in our financial systems to grow their wealth endlessly and almost effortlessly, a system trap called ‘success-to-the-successful’ (Section S.9). They also use far more than their fair share of energy and materials and create much more waste. A degrowth economy uses distributive design to make sure resources, income, and power are shared more fairly (Figure 10).

One approach is redistribution. This happens after people earn money. States collect taxes on income, wealth, pollution, or consumption, and use that money to fund healthcare, education, and other public services that benefit everyone. Progressive taxes mean that high income earners or those with great wealth pay a higher percentage than those on lower incomes or lower wealth.

Another approach is predistribution. This means designing the system with fairer rules so incomes and wealth are more equal to begin with. For example, fair minimum wages make sure workers have enough to live on. Maximum wage ratios limit how much more a top manager can earn compared to other workers in the same organisation.

An illustration of the impacts of redistribution and predistribution with example policies

Figure 10. Impacts of various predistribution and redistribution policies on income/wealth groups.

(Credit: adapted from the International Monetary Fund)

What are the concerns about degrowth strategies?

Degrowth invites societies to stop chasing constant growth and instead focus on what truly matters. Degrowth strategies are very popular with people around the world (Figure 11). But many people wonder what would happen if we changed direction.

An illustration of a pie chart showing that 62% of people in G20 countries believe that a country's economic success should be measured by the health and wellbing of its citizens, not just how fast the economy is growing.

Figure 11. People want the economy to prioritise the health and wellbeing of people and nature, not just increase profits, wealth and growth.

(Credit: Earth4All Survey 2024)

Will it destroy jobs or make people poorer?

This is a common fear. But degrowth is designed to avoid it. Shorter work weeks, public job creation, and income guarantees can protect livelihoods and shift workers into roles that support society and the planet.

Is degrowth only about giving things up?

Degrowth isn’t about sacrifice. It's about asking what really improves life. Many in high-income countries have more than they need, but still feel anxious or disconnected from other people and the rest of nature. Degrowth invites us to build an economy that offers more time, health, and connection, not just more stuff.

How will we pay for it?

Degrowth changes spending priorities. Governments can shift funds from harmful subsidies to helpful ones. Taxes on pollution and luxury emissions raise money while reducing harm. And with strong public services, people need less money to meet their needs. Degrowth spends less on destruction and more on care. It also recognises that many governments have more power to create money to finance the transition than they realise.

Topic 6: Money and finance covers ideas for financing the transition in greater detail.

Can democracy survive without economic growth?

The real threat to democracy is uncontrolled collapse in ecological and social systems (Figure 12). Planned degrowth can deepen democracy and the responsiveness of the state. Citizens’ assemblies and other localised governance systems in places as diverse as Ireland and Madagascar show how people, particularly at the local level, can make decisions and take action to support human and wider ecological wellbeing.

An illustration showing violence on the left, and collaboration on the right - indicating the two broad pathways for humanity

Figure 12. Degrowth by design is better than chaotic collapse.

(Credit: Beyond the Roadmap)

Activity 5.3.4

Concept: Systems, Regeneration

Skills: Thinking skills (transfer, critical thinking)

Time: varies, depending on option

Type: Individual, pairs, or group

Option 1: Getting in the Doughnut

Time: 30 minutes

Individually, in pairs or a small group, choose one degrowth strategy from the text.
Explain how the degrowth strategy helps meet human needs within planetary boundaries. Refer to both the social foundation and ecological ceiling of the Doughnut Economics model (Figure 13).
Share your ideas with another group or with the class.
Which of the degrowth strategies you discussed do you think would have the most impact on getting into the Doughnut?

Note: This activity can also be done as a jigsaw, with groups discussing one degrowth strategy’s connection to the Doughnut, then regrouping with other students who have explored the different strategies.

Illustration of the Doughnut Economics model

Figure 13. The Doughnut Economics model showing the “safe and just space for humanity” where human needs are met within planetary boundaries

(Credit: Raworth and Guthier CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Option 2: Green growth vs. degrowth debate (or discussion)

Time: 40+ minutes (depending on how much time is needed for research and prep)

Using a debate or discussion process you are familiar with, divide students into groups to discuss this motion:

A degrowth strategy is more realistic and desirable than a green growth strategy.

In addition to the material in Section 5.3.3 and this section, economist Dan O’Neill summarises arguments from both sides. Students may also wish to research additional arguments.

Option 2: Being a good ancestor

Time: 20-25 minutes

Read the following text and discuss the questions that follow with a partner, small group or write a reflection individually.

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an Indigenous alliance of six Nations in North America, makes decisions using a principle known as the Seven Generation Principle. This idea asks leaders and community members to think carefully before they act. Before making any important decision, especially about laws, land, water, or resources, they are taught to ask: Will this choice help or harm the people who will live seven generations from now?

Seven generations is a long time, about 150 to 200 years. It includes the lives of your grandchildren’s grandchildren. This principle encourages people to think far into the future and to make decisions with care, respect, and humility. It asks us to imagine being a good ancestor, someone future generations will thank for protecting their wellbeing and the Earth’s health..

Reflection/discussion questions:

Why do you think the Haudenosaunee focus on seven generations instead of just one or two? What might change if all states used this principle?
What actions today do you think future generations might thank us for? What might they regret?
How does degrowth help us become better ancestors? Can you think of one personal or political choice that reflects long-term thinking?

Option 3: Discussion UBI vs. UBS

Time: 30 minutes

Read through the following statements and decide whether each one applies to:

Universal Basic Income (UBI), a guaranteed income to help meet basic needs, or
Universal Basic Services (UBS), guaranteed essential services like healthcare, education, and transport, and recreation.
Both UBI and UBS

-----------------------

This strategy gives people more freedom to choose how they spend their time. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy reduces the need for private income by offering essential services at low or no cost. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy supports people doing unpaid but important work, like caring for others or restoring nature. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy could increase private consumption if not designed with ecological limits in mind. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy promotes equality by ensuring everyone can access housing, healthcare, and education. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy may lower motivation to work in low-paid essential jobs unless paired with job guarantees. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy simplifies administration by giving everyone the same basic cash payment. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy supports a shift toward sufficiency and wellbeing over endless growth. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy requires strong public institutions and infrastructure to deliver services fairly. UBI/UBS/Both?
This strategy helps phase out harmful industries while protecting basic income or services for all. UBI/UBS/Both?

Click to show answers (note - it is possible that your responses differ from the answers and are correct, so be sure to discuss any discrepancies with another student or your teacher):

1. Both 2. UBS 3. Both 4. UBI 5. UBS 6. UBI 7. UBI 8. Both 9. UBS 10. Both

After sorting, discuss/reflect on the following questions:

Which approach—UBI, UBS, or both—do you think better helps us meet human needs within planetary boundaries? Why?
What challenges or risks could arise with each strategy if used on its own?
Do you think UBI and UBS could work together in a degrowth economy? What might that look like?

A few additional resources on UBI:

The Universal Basic Income Experiment in Kenya - Planet Money podcast episode about the results of GiveDirectly’s UBI experiment. Difficulty level: easy
Guaranteed Basic Income Pilots Dashboard - a website monitoring data on the dozens of universal basic income pilots currently underway in the United States. Difficulty level: medium

Option 4: How can degrowth address the economic growth system traps?

Time: 40 minutes (depends on how many traps each student or group takes on, how long they are given to think about it, how long is allocated to share ideas)

Section 5.3.2 discussed various system traps that keep our economies locked into economic growth.

Alone, in pairs or small groups, consider what you have learned in this section. Choose one or several of the drivers of growth dependency from Table 1.
What kinds of degrowth-oriented strategies (individual/household, businesses in markets, and state) might help us get out of those system traps? How would your ideas help end growth dependency? What barriers might there be to the strategies you identify?
Brainstorm ideas and be ready to share with other groups or the class.

Table 1. Growth dependency system traps and strategies to break free

Click to reveal some ideas for the table - spark discussion or compare to your own

Ideas for longer activities and projects are listed in Subtopic 5.5

Checking for understanding

Coming soon!

Further exploration

Growth or life? A beautiful 3 minute animated video explaining how economic growth threatens all life on Earth and outlining alternatives. Difficulty level: easy
Who’s Afraid of Degrowth - an explanation of degrowth in graphic novel format by artist Celine Keller. A free PDF version is available for download. Difficulty level: medium
Design Tours: The world’s best public housing? - A 6 minute video from Monocle about Vienna’s public housing. Difficulty level: easy
What would a post-growth world look like? A short video from the World Economic Forum narrated by social entrepreneurTariq al-Olaimy outlining a post-growth future. Difficulty level: easy
Eradicating poverty beyond growth: Olivier De Schutter - In this 2:30 minute speech, the UN Special Rapporteur on Poverty makes the case for dropping economic growth as a global goal. He argues that true progress means meeting people’s needs without breaching planetary boundaries. Difficulty level: easy
The 89 Percent Project - 80-89% of the world’s people want their governments to be doing more to address climate change. This project aims to tell their stories to help trigger social tipping points and new narratives on state action for people and the planet. Difficulty level: easy
Degrowth in 7 minutes – This short video introduces the key ideas behind degrowth and why it's different from green growth. Difficulty level: easy
Jason Hickel on degrowth – A 26-minute video of economic anthropologist Jason Hickel explaining the logic of degrowth, the myth of green growth, and what a post-growth economy could look like. Difficulty level: medium
Decoupling 'The Good Life' from Capitalism – An insightful article by the Post Growth Institute that examines how capitalist frameworks shape our perceptions of abundance and security. It invites readers to reconsider their personal and cultural narratives around money and work, advocating for a redefinition of well-being beyond material wealth. Difficulty level: medium
The case for free, universal basic services – A TEDEd Talk by Aaron Bastani that explores how societies could meet human needs by providing services like transport, housing, and internet access for free, rather than relying on income and markets. Difficulty level: medium
TZCLD: Zero Long-Term Unemployment Zones – The French initiative Territoires zéro chômeur de longue durée experiments with creating jobs that meet local needs by redirecting unemployment funds. A real-life example of systemic change beyond growth. Difficulty level: medium
La décroissance ? C’est bien gentil, mais… – An insightful article from Bon Pote where economist Timothée Parrique addresses common concerns about degrowth, such as financing public services, managing national debt, and identifying sectors that may need to contract or disappear. In French, but online translators do a good job. Difficulty level: medium
Radical pathways beyond GDP – This Oxfam discussion paper explores why GDP fails to reflect the realities of inequality, care work, and environmental harm. It introduces feminist and decolonial alternatives that focus on wellbeing, justice, and sustainability, offering real-world examples and policy ideas. Difficulty level: high
Degrowth vs. Recession: 6 Key Facts - a short summary in slide format of how economist Jason Hickel distinguishes between degrowth and recession. Difficulty level: medium

Sources

Amaglobeli, D., & Thevenot, C. (2022, March). Tackling inequality on all fronts. Finance & Development Magazine. International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2022/03/Tackling-inequality-on-all-fronts-Amaglobeli-Thevenot

Barlow, N., Regen, L., Cadiou, N., Chertkovskaya, E., Hollweg, M., Plank, C., Schulken, M., & Wolf, V. (Eds.). (2022). Degrowth & Strategy: How to Bring About Social-Ecological Transformation. Mayfly Books. https://www.degrowthstrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Degrowth-n-Strategy-2022.pdf

Circular Metabolism Podcast. (2023, August 15). Pathways towards post-growth (Julia Steinberger, Jason Hickel, Timothée Parrique) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/umg2pGadrc8

Coote, A., & Percy, A. (2020). The case for universal basic services. Polity Press.

Dablander, F., Hickey, C., Sandberg, M., Zell-Ziegler, C., & Grin, J. (2025). Embracing sufficiency to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Research & Social Science, 120, 103907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103907

Daly, H., Farley, J. (2011). Ecological Economics (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

DEAL. 7. Thrive beyond growth, Version 1.0 November 2024. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16dH5hAeX7h3ynjd-nzkbywEebdXDdWe57lpoBw7M598/edit#slide=id.p98

Haagh, L. (2019). The case for universal basic income. Polity Press.

Hickel, J. (2020). Less is More. London: William Heinemann.

Hickel, J. (2019). Is it possible to achieve a good life for all within planetary boundaries? Third World Quarterly, 40(1), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2018.1535895

Hickel, J., et al. (2022). Degrowth can work — here’s how science can help. Nature, 612(7940), 400–403. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-04412-x

Jackson, T. (2017). Prosperity without growth: Foundations for the economy of tomorrow (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Kallis, G. (2018). Degrowth. Agenda Publishing.

Kallis, G., et al. (2025). Post-growth: The science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries. The Lancet Planetary Health, 9(1), e62–e78. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00258-3

Parrique, T. (2019). The political economy of degrowth [Doctoral dissertation, Université Clermont Auvergne & Stockholms universitet]. HAL Open Science. https://theses.hal.science/tel-02499463/document

Pizzagati, Sam. (2018). The case for a maximum wage. Polity Press.

Schlesier, H., Schäfer, M., & Desing, H. (2024). Measuring the Doughnut: A good life for all is possible within planetary boundaries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 448, 141447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141447

Steinberger, J., et al. (2024). Democratizing provisioning systems: A prerequisite for living well within limits. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 20(1), Article 2401186. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2024.2401186

Tcherneva, P. R. (2020). The case for a job guarantee. Polity Press.

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