ABSTRACT
Standard of living depends on resources and how many people use them. From 1980 to 1993, Florida's population grew from about 10 million people to about 13.6 million, a 36% increase. Florida's carrying capacity for people is dependent on all resources and how they are used, but ultimately on the supply of water. Many people believe that the growth of Florida's population will continue for many years to come because of the numbers of retired people who wish to move to the state. Because the economy of Florida is so strongly tied to that of the nation and the world, any turn-up or turn-down of these larger economies is felt even more within the state. For example, 20% of the economy of the state in 1993 was due to tourism dollars. There is much controversy among population scientists about what the response of birth rates, death rates, and migration trends will be as economies begin to contract.
