The spanish economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and a comparative analysis

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to look at the evolution of the main macroeconomic indicators during the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain and to compare the main policies implemented in different countries in order to discern whether one set of measures has been more effective than another. We find a catastrophic trend in indicators in the first half of the year due to the restrictive measures, in the second half we find a slight recovery of indicators that draws an "asymmetric V" with expectations of full recovery between a time frame of 2022 and more than 2025 depending on the scenario considered. No significant differences are found between the strategy of implementing restrictive measures and that of opting to rely on individual freedoms. The strategy that has delivered the best results in economic and health terms has been the strategy of anticipating the crisis.