How COVID-19 is Changing the World: A Statistical Perspective

This document presents a statistical overview of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected global health, economies, societies, and statistical systems during the first months of 2020. It was jointly compiled by international organizations to support evidence-based decision making using official and comparable data. The report covers confirmed cases and deaths, disruptions to trade, production, employment, education, mobility, and public services, and highlights unequal impacts across regions and population groups, including women, children, migrants, and urban poor. It documents unprecedented economic contractions, widespread job and schooling losses, and sharp declines in travel and trade. The report also examines constraints on national statistical offices and data production during lockdowns, emphasizing the critical role of timely, high-quality statistics in crisis response and recovery.