One year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Microscopic coronavirus has changed, in one way or another, the lives of all 7.8 billion people on Earth.
While the long-term impact of this global health crisis may take years to understand, its immediate effect has already changed the world as we know it. In the following infographics, we present the latest figures and reports to help you understand the global impact of the pandemic.
For each topic, we analyzed the most complete and reliable data sets available globally. The numbers are often presented as averages across the country, so it is important to remember that averages can mask inequalities, especially when it comes to undeclared areas or at-risk populations.
The main causes of death
At least 2.7 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19. While the main global causes of death for 2020 have not yet been published, compared to 2019, COVID ranks among the top five biggest killers.
In 2019, 55.4 million people died worldwide. Heart disease killed most people (8.9 million), followed by strokes (6.2 million) and lung disease (3.2 million). Collectively, they are known as non-communicable diseases, which means that they are not transmitted between people. In contrast, the highly contagious coronavirus is a communicable disease.
The chart below shows how a year of coronavirus deaths compares to the leading causes of death in 2019.
In the US, the country with the highest number of deaths from COVID-19, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that coronavirus has killed more Americans in one year (540,000) than the flu combined in the last 10 years (368,000). ).
Mental health
The WHO estimates that nearly one billion people worldwide live with a mental disorder. In 2019, 703,000 people took their own lives, making suicide the 17th most common cause of death. Despite this, countries spend only about 2% of their national mental health budgets.
The UN has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to cause a long-term increase in the number and severity of mental health problems. Evidence of the consequences of social blockage and distancing on mental health is still being studied. Although we do not have large-scale data on the effect that COVID-19 has had on mental health globally, a few smaller studies (PDF) indicate higher rates of anxiety and depression.
Below are five tips from Dr. Devora Kestel, Director of the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, on protecting our mental health.
Global locks
By definition, a pandemic is a worldwide spread of a disease. It is estimated that more than two-thirds of the world’s population has experienced blockade measures, which last from weeks to months.
According to data compiled by the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, more than 100 countries and territories in 2021 reintroduced home residence orders, with some exceptions, such as essential trips, daily exercise or grocery shopping.
The graph below summarizes the duration of locks at national level for 12 months (16 January 2020 – 15 January 2021).
Trillions have been erased
According to World Bank estimates, the global economy will shrink by 4.3 percent in 2020, eliminating billions of dollars. Countries already facing economic difficulties have plunged even further into debt. An Oxfam International report estimates that it could take more than a decade for the world’s poorest people to recover from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the positive side, the World Bank expects the global economy to expand by 4% in 2021, with vaccine launches and investments leading to recovery.
The graph below shows the effect that COVID-19 had on the global economy. Each major economy, with the exception of China, shrank during 2020. Other countries that saw an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) include Bangladesh (2%), Benin (2%), Burundi (0.3%), Egypt (3.6%), Ethiopia (6.1%), Ghana (1.1%), Guinea (5.2%), Guyana (23.2%), Ivory Coast (1.8%), Myanmar (1.7%), Nepal (0.2%), Niger (1%), South Sudan (9.3%), Tajikistan (2.2%), Tanzania (2.5%), Turkey (0 , 5%), Uzbekistan (0.6%) and Vietnam (2.8%).
This in no way suggests that these countries were better off after the coronavirus. Rather, several of these countries were projected to achieve even higher growth before the pandemic, others relying on loans to support their economies.
Global poverty and unemployment
Coronavirus disproportionately affected the poor. For the first time in 20 years, world poverty is likely to increase significantly. The World Bank estimates that the coronavirus has pushed between 119 and 124 million people into extreme poverty. This leads to the total number of people living on less than $ 1.90 a day at 730 million, which is about 10% of the world’s population.
In 2020, 114 million people lost their jobs, according to the latest unemployment figures from the International Labor Organization (ILO). But taking into account official unemployment figures is not enough to measure unemployment. As the IOM points out, many workers have fallen into “economic inactivity”. This means that they had to retire from the workforce. Many may still be employed, but work with reduced working hours or pay cuts.
Younger women and workers were among the hardest hit, raising concerns about the spread of gender inequality and a lost generation of workers.
In addition, the United Nations Development Program has warned that almost half of all jobs in Africa could be wiped out due to the pandemic.
The rich got rich
A report (PDF) published by Oxfam International, a UK charity, said the pandemic has hurt people living in poverty much harder than the rich. The worst affected are women, blacks, African descent, indigenous peoples and marginalized and oppressed communities around the world, the report said.
To put this income inequality in perspective, a report by Swiss Bank UBS found that the world’s richest people saw their wealth grow by $ 3.9 trillion between March and December 2020. The top 10 billionaires and -they increased their wealth by $ 540 billion during this time.
Many of the richest people in the world, including Elon Musk (USA), Zhong Shanshan (China) and Mukesh Ambani (India), have seen their wealth more than double since the pandemic was declared.
1.7 billion students out of school
In 2020, the closure of schools and universities has disrupted the education of more than 1.7 billion students in 188 countries, or about 99% of the world’s student population, according to UNESCO.
Today, almost 900 million students, more than half of the world’s student population, continue to face severe education disruptions, from school closures in 29 countries to part-time or part-time courses in another 68, according to the latest data from UNESCO.
While online schooling has allowed courses to continue in practice, the UN estimates that nearly 500 million children, mostly in poorer countries or rural areas, have been excluded from distance learning due to lack of technology or policies. .
Oxfam estimates that the pandemic will reverse the last 20 years of global progress in girls’ education, further increasing poverty and inequality.
The worst year for air travel
In 2019, more than 4.5 billion passengers made 38 million flights worldwide. With blockages and quarantines for most of 2020, many travel plans have been canceled or postponed.
International passenger demand in 2020 decreased by 75.6% compared to 2019, according to the International Air Transport Association.
The global flight tracking service Flightradar24 has also seen a 42% drop in commercial flights since 2019. Many airlines have been forced to operate cargo-only flights, maintain supermarket warehouses and fulfill online orders. .
Space locks
On the left are pre-blockade images, contrasted with blockade images taken in March 2020 to show the effect of the pandemic on cities around the world. Unprecedented blockades have cleared the streets, disrupted travel and slowed economic activity – temporarily reducing air pollution.
Below we will see how Mecca, Wuhan and Venice all saw a sharp drop in visitors a few weeks after the pandemic. Here you see satellite images of several cities.
Pollution levels
In the first weeks of COVID blockade, clearer and less polluted skies were reported. For example, residents of Venice, Italy, have reported running water in its normally choppy canals for the first time in years.
However, this seems to have been short-lived. A recent report by the International Energy Agency found that while global energy-related CO2 emissions fell overall by 5.8% in 2020 – the largest annual percentage decline since World War II – the latest data show that global CO2 pollution has returned to pre-COVID levels.
Professor Ralph Keeling, head of the Scripps CO2 program, explained the situation in May 2020: “People may be surprised to learn that the response to the coronavirus outbreak has not further influenced CO2 levels. The accumulation of CO2 is a bit like garbage in a landfill. As we continue to emit, it continues to accumulate. ”
