Here are 11 charts to wrap up 2021 for you

For many, the struggle to breathe and hold onto life during the tragic second covid-19 wave in India defined the year: two of our charts are based on those tough times, lest we forget. We also look at the massive, global race to reach herd immunity against covid-19—at times inspirational but fraught with missed targets and selfish inequities.

Also check out our charts on the new rage of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the supply chain disruptions that crippled economies, and India’s most cheerful Olympics year ever, and several more:

Read our two-part series on a 2022 preview in data here.

Twitter to the rescue

As India’s health infrastructure collapsed during the second wave of covid-19, people used Twitter to seek help and share information.

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The year of the IPO rush

It was a watershed year for public issues with over ₹1 trillion being mopped up by newly listed firms so far. Both retail and institutionals jumped on the bandwagon buoyed by strong listing gains.

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Equal infection, unequal cure

The year exposed the rich world as it cornered covid-19 vaccines early and in plenty.

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Google, the life-saver

Covid-related queries dominated Google searches in 2021. Here are the top six “How to…” searches by Indians this year.

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Shipping inflation

Global supply chains have been clogged as shipping got dearer. This has stoked inflation the world over to record levels.

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Crypto beats stocks

Bitcoins generated their highest-ever search demand on Google this year, beating even the time-tested stock markets.

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The challenge of a century

Protecting one-sixth of humanity against a raging pandemic was always going to be a Herculean task. Despite many hiccups, India ends the year close to giving the first dose to nearly all adults.

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India’s Olympic glory

With seven medals in Tokyo, India had its best ever performance at the Olympics so far.

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Growing tribe of young investors

Frenzied hordes of teenagers and 20-something investors have hit the stock market this year, suddenly representing almost a third of India’s trader community.

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How UPI left our wallets behind

UPI transactions reached all-time highs this year, both in terms of the number of transactions and their value.

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It’s NFT age now!

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are at the forefront of a new digital revolution reshaping the art world, altering how art is bought, sold, and valued today.”

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