Answer

No. In Jain Dharma, the number of souls does not increase. Souls are not created newly. What changes is the number of bodies and the forms of life a soul takes.

Explanation

According to Jain philosophy:

• A soul, or jīva, is beginningless.
• No soul is ever created from nothing.
• No soul is ever destroyed.
• When a baby is born, it is not a “new soul” being made.
• It is an existing soul that has taken a new body because of its karma.

So when the world population increases, Jainism would say:

• More souls are taking human birth.
• But these are not newly created souls.
• They are souls that were already existing in other forms or realms and have now received a human body.

Where do these souls come from?

They come from other life forms and states of existence, such as:

• Other human births
• Animal births
• Heavenly births
• Hellish births
• Very subtle life forms also described in Jain cosmology

A soul moves from one birth to another according to its karma.

Spiritual Understanding

This teaching is very important in Jain Dharma because it shows:

• Life is sacred in every form.
• Every soul is eternal and deserving of compassion.
• Birth is not random; it is connected with karma.
• We should never think of any living being as “less important.”

It also reminds us that the goal is not just another birth, but liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Takeaway

In Jainism, souls are not increasing in number. They are eternal and countless. Only the bodies increase or change, while souls continue their journey according to karma.

If you want, I can also explain this from the Jain view of jīva, karma, and rebirth in a very simple diagram form.