We are pleased to present the third volume of “How COVID-19 is changing the world: a statistical perspective”. 

Since the release of the first volume in May 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to rage around the world. By mid-March, 2021, countries around the globe had reported over 123 million cases—a nearly five-fold increase since this report’s previous volume—and over 2.7 million deaths attributed to the disease. And while new case loads are currently on the rise again, the global health community has already administered almost 400 million doses of vaccines, at last offering some signs of hope and progress.  

Nonetheless, the pandemic continues to present daunting challenges for governments and international organizations. Economic impacts threaten to undo decades of recent progress in poverty reduction, child nutrition and gender equality, and exacerbate ef-forts to support refugees, migrants, and other vulnerable communities. National and local governments—together with internation-al and private-sector partners—must deploy vaccines as efficiently, safely and equitably as possible while still monitoring for new outbreaks and continuing policies to protect those who do not yet have immunity. Economic recovery efforts are also increasingly urgent as the world begins to pivot to a “post-pandemic” reality. It is becoming increasingly clear that choices made over the next months and years could have impacts for generations to come. 

More than ever, the world needs reliable and trustworthy data and statistics to inform these important decisions. The United Na-tions and all member organizations of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) collect and make available a wealth of information for assessing the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic. This report updates some of the global and region-al trends presented in the first and second volumes and offers a snapshot of how COVID-19 continues to affect the world today across multiple domains. The report also highlights the impact of the pandemic on specific regions and population groups.