Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world in a big way, shattering the economy, pushing people into poverty and joblessness among others.
In a statistical perspective, the International organisations under the aegis of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities, have given a detailed scenario of the changing world.
The report named “How COVID-19 is changing the world: a statistical perspective Volume II”, said that Covid-19 has dealt a heavy blow on the economic and social fabric of the society. The first volume was published in May 2020.
Some key findings;
- Trends in COVID-19 caseloads differ widely by country, illustrating the unpredictable nature of the pandemic and the importance of remaining vigilant in our battle against the virus
- Global foreign direct investment is now projected to fall by as much as 40 percent in 2020
- Global manufacturing output fell by 20 per cent in April 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year, accelerating an already declining trend
- The pandemic is pushing an additional 71 to 100 million people into extreme poverty
- Globally, the first quarter of 2020 saw a loss of the equivalent to 155 million full-time jobs, a number that increased to 400 million in the second quarter, with lower- and middle-income countries hardest hit
- Simulations suggest a steep and unprecedented decline in the Human Development Index (HDI), undermining six years of progress
- As recipients of 43 per cent of global remittance inflows, the developing economies of Asia and the Pacific are especially vulnerable to the global economic stall and its impact on the transfer of remittances by migrant workers
- To mitigate the impact of the pandemic in Africa, the African Development Bank has invested USD 10.2 billion to establish a Crisis Response Facility
- Data from 31 countries over the period 2014 to 2019 show that about 1 in 5 people reported having experienced discrimination on at least one of the grounds prohibited by international human rights law, highlighting the need for COVID-19 responses to ensure that the pandemic does not exacerbate existing forms of discrimination
- Even before the pandemic, women did three times more unpaid domestic and care work than men; since the pandemic, however, data from rapid gender assessment surveys indicate that women in some regions are shouldering the extra burden of an increased workload, particularly in terms of childcare and household chores.
