This report presents the main trends of international trade of the region's economies during the last year, with the most recent figures available on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the different countries of the region. It is composed of three chapters that review the evolution of global and regional trade after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, analyze the evolution of intraregional trade with a long-term view, and examine how international trade can contribute to gender equality when accompanied by adequate policies.

The Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean seeks to respond to the demands of users who require reliable and sound statistical information in order to analyse the economic, social and environmental situation of the region.

This publication examines the social impact of an unprecedented crisis. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have spread to all areas of human life, altering the way we interact, crippling economies and bringing about profound changes in societies. The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the major structural gaps in the region, and it is clear that the costs of inequality have become unsustainable and that it is necessary to rebuild with equality and sustainability, aiming for the creation of a true welfare state, long overdue in the region.