Covid-19 will leave deep scars in world economy even after recovery

Legacies of stunted education, destruction of jobs, war-era levels of debt and widening inequalities will cost poorest nations most.

Just as some patients recovering from Covid-19 suffer long-lasting symptoms, it’s becoming clear that the same will be true for the global economy once this year’s V-shaped rebound fades.

While $26 trillion worth of crisis support and the arrival of vaccines have fueled a faster recovery than many anticipated, the legacies of stunted education, the destruction of jobs, war-era levels of debt and widening inequalities between races, genders, generations and geographies will leave lasting scars, most of them in the poorest nations.

“It’s very easy after a gruelling year or more to feel really relieved that things are back on