5 charts show the stages of global economic recovery since Covid hit
Commuters on a train in Hong Kong on March 2, 2022, amid the Covid pandemic.
Dale De La Rey | AFP | Getty Images
Oil prices plunged, travel came to a halt and unemployment rates spiked when the coronavirus hit in early 2020.
Then, signs of recovery emerged. Stock markets rebounded and quickly surpassed 2019 levels, while the global economy has begun to recover, though the pace varies with region and industry.
Two years after the WHO declared Covid a pandemic, here are five charts that show much — or how little — the world has recovered.
Demand for oil
Oil prices have been on a wild ride since early 2020 in reaction to both demand and supply factors.
Demand first evaporated as lockdowns took effect, but later crept back, causing supply concerns in 2021.
Global oil demand stood at 100.1 million barrels per day in 2019, and has not fully recovered yet, according to OPEC estimates.
The Russia-Ukraine war has thrown the oil market into chaos…