- Global Unemployment: In 2020, the worldwide unemployment rate increased from 5.4% to 5.6%, marking a noticeable effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment. Joblessness surged as many businesses struggled to survive lockdowns and restrictions. Source: International Labour Organization
- Global Economic Growth: A significant contraction of 3.5% in global growth was seen in 2020. This downward trajectory represented the economic turmoil and instability brought on by the pandemic. Source: IMF
- Emerging Economies: The economies of emerging markets shrank by 2.4% in 2020. This illustrates the vulnerability of these regions to global crises, often lacking robust healthcare and financial systems to weather the storm. Source: World Bank
- Developed Economies: Developed economies didn’t escape unscathed either, experiencing a contraction of 4.6% in 2020. This demonstrates the widespread impact of COVID-19, affecting even the most resilient economies. Source: IMF
- US GDP: The United States, despite being one of the world’s largest economies, saw its GDP decrease by 3.5% in 2020, showing that even superpowers aren’t immune to economic shocks. Source: BEA
- Global Trade: International merchandise trade volume dropped by 5.3% in 2020. Both the ongoing trade wars and the pandemic severely hampered exchange of goods across borders, indicating a challenging year for global commerce. Source: WTO
- IT Spending: The world’s IT spending declined by 3.2% in 2020, reflecting the operational difficulties and budget cuts experienced by many organizations during the pandemic. Source: Gartner
- US Oil Production: A decline in oil demand due to pandemic restrictions led to an 8% drop in US oil production, underlining the challenges faced by the energy sector. Source: US Energy Information Administration
- Investment Flows: The containment policies in 2020 led to a severe contraction of global direct investment flows by 42%. This underscores the hesitance of investors during periods of high uncertainty. Source: UNCTAD
- Tourism Revenue: As travel restrictions were imposed worldwide, global tourism revenue saw a steep fall of 69% in 2020. This highlights the sector’s vulnerability to global disruptions. Source: UNWTO
- Global Trade in Goods: The global trade in goods was expected to fall by 5.6% in 2020, with services facing a larger decrease of 15.4%, painting a clear picture of the commercial disruption brought on by the pandemic. Source: WTO
- China’s GDP Growth: Despite being the epicenter of the outbreak, China managed to achieve a GDP growth rate of 2.3% in 2020, although it was the weakest in over four decades. This illustrates the relative resilience of China’s economy. Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China
- NASDAQ 100 Index: Despite the economic downturn, the NASDAQ 100 index rose by 48% in 2020, showcasing the remarkable growth of the tech sector during the pandemic. Source: NASDAQ
- Oil Prices: The oil market faced a major shock in 2020, with prices, at one point, falling into negative territory. This highlights the extreme demand fluctuations in the energy market. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Airline Industry Losses: With travel restrictions in place globally, the airline industry lost $126.4 billion in 2020. This is indicative of the struggles of the travel and hospitality sectors. Source: IATA
- Global Car Sales: Car sales worldwide plummeted to a decade low in 2020, a clear reflection of the global consumer spending crunch. Source: Statista
- Retail Sales: Retailers around the world faced significant challenges as the global retail sales saw a decline of 5.7% in 2020. Source: eMarketer
- Gold Prices: As investors sought safe havens, gold prices saw a significant surge in 2020, reaching new record highs. Source: World Gold Council
- Renewable Energy Investment: Amidst the economic downturn, global renewable energy investment increased by 2% in 2020, signaling the ongoing transition towards clean energy. Source: BloombergNEF
- Bitcoin: Bitcoin had an impressive year in 2020, with its value increasing by over 300%, reflecting its rising acceptance as a mainstream investment asset. Source: CoinDesk
- Cloud Market: As remote work became the norm, the global cloud market experienced robust growth in 2020, increasing by 33% and reaching a value of $330 billion, highlighting the increased reliance on digital technologies. Source: Canalys
- eCommerce Sales: eCommerce sales grew by 27.6% globally in 2020, driven by a surge in online shopping as consumers avoided physical stores during the pandemic. Source: eMarketer
- Video Game Market: The global video game market size witnessed a 9.3% year-on-year increase in 2020, illustrating the rise in digital entertainment consumption amidst lockdowns. Source: Newzoo
- Global Debt: Global debt soared to a record $281 trillion in 2020, or more than 355% of global GDP, highlighting the extreme measures taken by governments and central banks to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. Source: Institute of International Finance
- US Interest Rates: In response to the pandemic, the US Federal Reserve slashed its interest rates to near-zero in 2020, underlining the measures taken to boost the economy during the crisis. Source: Federal Reserve