Market2020s
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2020s

The 2020s is the current decade that began on 1 January 2020 and will end on 31 December 2029.

Politics and wars
Major conflicts The prominent wars of the decade include: International wars File:2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Photo Montage.jpg|Montage of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, part of the Russo-Ukrainian war. File:Evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport 210821-M-AU949-0155.jpg|US Marines with SP-MAGTF-CR-CC at an evacuation checkpoint at Kabul Airport on 21 August during the 2021 Fall of Kabul, at the end of the War in Afghanistan. Image:Damage in Gaza Strip during the October 2023.jpg|Highrise residential building "Palestine Tower" in Gaza following an Israeli strike during the Gaza war. File:Syrian rebels at Hama Military Airport.png|Syrian rebels at Hama Air Base during the Syrian civil war. File:Pictures of the Israeli attack on Tehran 1 Mehr (2).jpg|Aerial view of Tehran suburbs following Israeli airstrikes during the Iran–Israel war. File:Trump, Putin Alaska Arrival (9260673).jpg|US president Donald Trump greets Russian president Vladimir Putin at the Alaska summit for the first time since the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine to progress peace talks. File:P20250929JB-0555 President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference.jpg|US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing the Gaza peace plan during a press conference. File:Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab photos from Mehr (3).jpg|The aftermath of the 2026 Minab school airstrike during the Israeli and US-led airstrikes, which NATO blamed the Iranian strikes in the Middle East. File:2026 Iran war collage.jpg|Montage of the 2026 Iran war, part of the Middle Eastern crisis. Civil wars Image:Myanmar_civil_war.svg|Territorial control during Myanmar civil war (2021–present) as of the present. Image:VOA Tigray Children2.jpg|A man passing by a destroyed T-72 tank in Idaga Hamus during Tigray war. Image:Screengrab of refugee camp from Number of Refugees Who Fled Sudan for Chad Double in Week.jpg|Sudanese refugee camp in Chad during Sudanese civil war (2023). Image:Prigozhin rebellion Rostov tank with flowers in the muzzle June 24.jpg|A tank with flowers in the muzzle in Rostov-on-Don during the Wagner Group rebellion against the Russian government. Revolutions and major protests Successful revolutions and otherwise major protests of the decade include, but are not limited to: File:Minneapolis 05-28-20 (49947863357).jpg|Protesters in Minneapolis where George Floyd was murdered and the unrest began on 26 May 2020. File:02020 0097 (2) Protest against abortion restriction in Bielsko-Biała, November 2020.jpg|Protest against abortion restriction in Bielsko-Biała, Poland File:2021 Myanmar Protest in Hleden.jpg|2021 Myanmar coup d'état culminated an ongoing protests, thousands of protesters participating in an anti-junta rally in Yangon in February 2021. File:2022 Kazakhstan protests — Aqtobe, January 4 (01).jpg|Protesters in Aktobe during a period of unrest in Kazakhstan, 4 January 2022. File:Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka 2022.jpg|Sri Lankans protesting in front of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, 13 April 2022. File:Amir Kabir University uprising September 2022 (3).jpg|Iranians protesting at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran following the death of Mahsa Amini, 20 September 2022. File:Ataque bolsonarista ao Congresso Nacional do Brasil.png|Protesters attack the Brazilian Congress to protest and attempt to overturn the results of the 2022 Brazilian election, 8 January 2023. File:8 march protest in Tbilisi (cropped).jpg|Pro-Western protesters and rioters during the anti-government protests in Tbilisi, Georgia File:Warszawa - Marsz Miliona Serc (1).jpg|"March of a Million Hearts" in Warsaw, Poland File:John Deere 6320 Saint-Etienne-de-Fontbellon manifestations agriculteurs janvier 2024.jpg|Tractors at Saint-Etienne-de-Fontbellon (France) during the EU farmers' protests. File:People cheering in front of the Prime Minister's Office after Sheikh Hasina's resignation.jpg|People cheering in front of the Prime Minister's Office after Sheikh Hasina's resignation, ending the July Revolution in Bangladesh. File:2024 Venezuela protests 01.jpg|Venezuelans taking to the streets to protest the 2024 presidential election results in Caracas, 3 August 2024. File:2025 Indonesia Gelap protests 21 February (cropped).jpg|Student protestors near the National Monument, Central Jakarta, during the 2025 Indonesian protests in February 2025. File:Hands off protest in Minnesota.jpg|A group of "Hands-Off" protestors on the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota since the George Floyd protests in 2020. File:CA Guard and protestors, June 2025.jpg|California National Guard and protestors during June 2025 Los Angeles protests against mass deportation. File:Oyane-ring southeast.jpg|Anti-government protests disrupted the Expo 2025 in Osaka since the assassination of Shinzo Abe three years earlier, part of the Raging Years movement. File:2025 Nepalese Gen Z protesters infront of Bharatpur mahanagarpalika office.jpg|Angry protesters and rioters in Kathmandu during the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests. File:Trillion Peso March - EDSA.jpg|Trillion Peso March at EDSA Shrine, Quezon City during the 2025 Philippine anti-corruption protests. File:Protestas de la Generación Z en Perú del 2025 01.jpg|The Gen Z protests in Latin America occurred in Peru, Mexico, and Colombia, in response to the ongoing Mexican drug war, Colombian conflict and the Peruvian political crisis. File:No Kings protest 2 in Chicago 124655.jpg|October 2025 No Kings protests made one of the largest single-day protests in the United States and worldwide. File:Perth-iran-rally-Jan10-1.jpg|Iranian diaspora holding a solidarity rally in Perth, Australia during the violent Iranian protests and riots. Terrorist attacks Note: To be included, entries must be notable (have a stand-alone article) and described by a consensus of reliable sources as "terrorism." The most prominent terrorist attacks committed against civilian populations during the decade include, but are not limited to: Political trends The 2020s marked the end of the Post-Cold War era, particularly in post-communist Eastern Europe, east of the former Iron Curtain. Pasokification marked the decline of centre-left and centre-right politics throughout the Western world during the decade, led by demographic changes such as increased tertiary education and ethnic diversity as well as the waning influence of religion and the rise of identity politics. At this time, centre-right parties drifted rightward towards libertarianism, right-wing populism, national conservatism, or were supplanted by new far-right parties. Centre-left politics has not declined to the same extent, although some have, most notably Joe Biden (particularly age and health concerns). Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine is also struggling, with the next Ukrainian presidential election indefinitely postponed due to the Russo-Ukrainian war. A deep political divide has arisen in the United States, which has seen acute political polarization, with stark divides along race and ethnicity, educational attainment, and political polarization among states. The 2024 United States presidential election was decided by 1.5% (49.8–48.3%), a close race by popular vote margin. In 2024, Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris after Harris previously defeated Trump in 2020 as the Vice presidential candidate, in a quasi-rematch. Western Europe, Canada, and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) have largely avoided democratic backsliding and the rise of far-right politics, but even there political instability and polarization has increased. Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has seen his approval ratings fall precipitously, and Emmanuel Macron of France has faced a French political crisis due to a hung parliament. The Gen Z protests in Asia began in 2024, with the July Revolution in Bangladesh being described as the world's first Generation Z revolution. The 2026 Bangladeshi and Nepalese general elections held which resulted both landslide victories of liberal and reformist opposition parties, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Rastriya Swatantra Party, both the elections held since the chaotic Gen Z protests. In Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and East Asian countries, political instability has also increased, particularly in Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea. Thailand and the Philippines had major political crises such as impeachments and dismissals of Prime Ministers Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as well as the impeachment of Sara Duterte and arrest of Rodrigo Duterte. South Korea had a martial law crisis in 2024 resulted the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol for eight years since Park Geun-hye in 2017, while in Japan was marred by anti-government protests and riots, the LDP lost its majority in both houses of the National Diet and regained in 2026 for a four-year electoral comeback since 2021. The Bangkok–Manila–Seoul–Tokyo Frontline led as the NATO–US defense initiative focused to prevent threats from Iran, revenge with the Russo-Ukrainian war, Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and South China Sea dispute, led by Anutin Charnvirakul, Bongbong Marcos, Lee Jae Myung, and Sanae Takaichi. The initiative was implemented after a turbulent political crises, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made positive views of a frontline along with the Pacific Squad members from Australia, India, and Canada. Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City in 2025 at the age of 34, defeating former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani became the first Muslim, Indian-Ugandan, and first millennial mayor of New York City. Political economic trends The 2021-2023 inflation surge discredited or weakened nearly all governing parties and leaders during the early 2020s, across ideological lines. In 2025, Trump triggered a global trade war, repudiating neoliberalism and free trade, in favor of mercantilism and protectionism. This was a sea change in Republican Party ideology, raising tariffs to the highest levels since the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. Despite being a capitalist country, the relationship between income and voter support in the United States inverted in 2024, because of educational polarization. Kamala Harris won voters making over $100,000 and $200,000 a year, but lost the election. including many with lower incomes. As early as 2018, French economist Thomas Piketty had predicted that centre-left parties would come to represent women, the highly educated and high-income, and ethnic minorities, instead of those with low incomes. Kamala Harris's strongest voters were women with graduate degrees and Black women, herself a Black woman with a Juris Doctor. In particular, high-income and high-education women now vote for liberal parties, while low-income and low-education men now vote for conservative parties, as shown in the graphs. • The Republican Party's core demographics changed to becoming a party primarily of men without college degrees, including Hispanic men. The Democratic Party's core demographics changed to becoming a party primarily of women with college degrees and Black women. Hispanic men voted to the right of White women in 2024. The Russo-Ukrainian war (2022–present) represents the deadliest war in Eastern Europe since the Eastern Front of World War II and the Russian Civil War. But the trend was broader, also including Viktor Orbán in Hungary, the Law and Justice party in Poland, and the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which is strongest in the New states of Germany that once comprised East Germany. Electoral trends , all 50 states and D.C. swung rightward, as did around 90% of counties. Having suffered decline in the years after the Great Recession, the centre-left politics and the 1990s political model (like progressivism, liberalism, and social democracy policies) experienced a resurgence across Europe and the Anglosphere in the early 2020s, with New Statesman suggesting various causes, including natural shifts in the electoral cycle and conservatives' unpopularity among university graduates and voters under the age of 40. The 2020 United States presidential election saw the election of Kamala Harris as vice president was widely regarded as a historic milestone, as the first woman and multicultural (African American and Asian American) to hold the office, reflecting broader trends toward increased diversity and representation in American politics, culture and society. She was conceded defeat as a presidential candidate at the 2024 United States presidential election to Donald Trump. Following the election of Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election, the mid-2020s saw the resurgence of right-wing populism and the 1980s political model (like Trumpist ideologies of conservatism, social conservatism, and anti-communist policies). Political polarization has risen in other Western countries, not just the United States. while those who have very unfavorable opinions of the opposing party are at record highs as of 2022. The New York Times characterized this as part of a "new global divide", between national conservatism, social conservatism, and right-wing populism versus social democracy, liberalism, and pro-Europeanism (in Europe) or ethnic minorities such as African Americans (in the United States). Incumbent parties in all 10 major counties that held elections in 2024 lost, the first time this has ever happened since 1905. All 50 states and the District of Columbia shifted towards the Republican Party in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Deaths Sitting leaders that died such as Qaboos bin Said of Oman, Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, Amadou Gon Coulibaly of the Ivory Coast, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, John Magufuli of Tanzania, Idriss Déby of Chad, Jovenel Moïse of Haiti, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, Hage Geingob of Namibia, Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, Nguyễn Phú Trọng of Vietnam, Didier Guillaume of Monaco, Pope Francis and Ali Khamenei of Iran. Prominent political events Coups ''Coups d'état'' against ruling governments during the decade include: Africa Americas File:2021 storming of the United States Capitol DSC09254-2 (50820534063) (retouched).jpg|On 6 January 2021, the U.S. Capitol attack occurred two weeks before Joe Biden was sworn into office. The event resulted in the Second impeachment of Donald Trump and a group of televised public hearings. File:P20241113CS-0503 (cropped).jpg|The 2020s saw the U.S. presidency alternate from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in 2020, followed by Trump's successful re-election in 2024; both the oldest presidents served during the decade. Trump is the second president elected to nonconsecutive terms (following Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892). File:Former President Donald Trump paying respect to Corey Comperatore (53887491621).jpg|Donald Trump, who survived an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania in July 2024. This image shows Donald Trump paying respect to Corey Comperatore's firefighter uniform; he lost his life in the assassination attempt. File:Machado y González protestando contra el fraude presidencial en Venezuela de 2024.jpg|María Corina Machado and Edmundo González along with his wife, addressing supporters in Caracas following the 2024 presidential election results. Incumbent Nicolás Maduro secured a third term in an election widely criticized as neither free or fair, given the Maduro administration having controlled most institutions and repressed the political opposition before and during the election. File:Jimmy Carter lay-in state at U.S. Capitol.jpg|Former US president Jimmy Carter lay in repose at the U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C. He was the longest-lived U.S. president in history and the first president to reach the age of 100. File:Starmer and Carney 2025-03-17-18-44.jpg|Mark Carney became Prime Minister of Canada, after he won a landslide victory at the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election and re-elected at the federal election, since Justin Trudeau resigned after nine years of premiership. File:President Donald J. Trump oversees Operation Epic Fury at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FL, Feb. 28, 2026. (White House photo by Daniel Torok) (55121599389).jpg|The United States Semiquincentennial would be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, led by US President Donald Trump vowed to focus political upheavals in Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Cuba, and the Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, made the rise of Donroe Doctrine and popularity known as the "Military Gear Solid" strategy. Asia File:Imran Khan and 2 Chief Ministers of Pakistan.jpg|Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was arrested twice during the political unrest, and PTI-led independents lost the 2024 election. File:Shri Baboolal Mewra with PM Narendra Modi.jpg|Narendra Modi was reelected as Prime Minister led by the ruling NDA at the 2024 Indian general election twice, despite the opposition INDIA alliance made narrow leads. Which resulted the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict and a state of emergency declared in February 2026 over terrorist attacks in the neighboring Pakistan. File:Shigeru Ishiba was designated as the 102nd Prime Minister 4.jpg|A political crisis began with Shigeru Ishiba is elected as Prime Minister of Japan by the National Diet, succeed Fumio Kishida and reelected in October 2024 following the election, he was resigned and replaced by Sanae Takaichi in a following year. File:Duterte and Medialdea flying to The Hague in 2025.jpg|Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by several organizations under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant charging him with crimes against humanity and abuse of power related to the Philippine drug war and declaration of martial law are the "act of terrorism". File:The Inauguration Ceremony of the 21st President of Republic of Korea (54566787254).jpg|Lee Jae-myung becomes President of South Korea following the victory at the snap election in 2025. It was the second time to call the snap election since 2017 following the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. File:20251021 shimei 01.jpg|Sanae Takaichi became the first female Prime Minister of Japan, as well as longtime Kansai-based politician; the formation of the Takaichi Cabinet and the conservative LDP-JIP coalition won a historic landslide victory at the 2026 Japanese general election, marked the end of a two-year political crisis. File:President Donald Trump, Malaysian Prime Minister Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sign the Kuala Lumpur Accord (54882714117).jpg|The Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord signing ceremony during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, ending a five-month 2025 Cambodian–Thai border crisis, but it was re-escalated several times. File:Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting 000184120.jpg|Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump are the strong proponents of the Japan–United States relations, several policies such as the Legislation for Peace and Student Mobilization Act and the U.S.–Japan alliance. Europe File:Suomen ja Ruotsin suurlähettiläät jättävät kiinnostuksenosoituksensa Natoon liittymisestä - 52082038874.jpg|Finnish and Swedish ambassadors submit their applications to join NATO to then-secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. File:Sergio Mattarella and Giorgia Meloni in March 2023.jpg|Following the 2022 Italian general election, Giorgia Meloni became the first female Prime Minister of Italy and the post-fascist politician led by the Brothers of Italy since the end of World War II. File:20220908-Buckingham Palace Elizabeth II death reactions (07).jpg|Crowds at Buckingham Palace following the death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, shortly after the Platinum Jubilee celebration which marked the 70th anniversary of her accession. File:Ratzinger funeral (09).jpg|Crowds at St. Peter's Square following the death and funeral of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis' predecessor before his death in April 2025. File:Waving from Buckingham Palace Balcony (52877352018) (cropped).jpg|King Charles III and Queen Camilla on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their coronation in 2023. File:Mark Rutte's visit to the European Commission - 202410 - P064674-270218.jpg|Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte became Secretary General of NATO, he vowed to launch intelligence and military involvements focused on the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Middle Eastern crisis. File:Securing Our Future (EC pic) 2025-03-02-15-13.jpg|NATO leaders and participants at the 2025 London Summit on Ukraine. File:Procesija, pok. papa Franjo (5).jpg|Crowds at Domus Sanctae Marthae following the death and funeral of Pope Francis after 12 years of papacy, marked the 20th anniversary of death and funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005. Pope Leo XIV was elected as pontiff in the 2025 papal conclave two weeks later, he became the first pope to have been born in the United States as well as a dual citizenship. File:2024-08-21 Event, CDU, Wahlkampf mit Friedrich Merz in Erfurt 2024 STP 3111 by Stepro.jpg|The Netherlands, France, and Germany faced political crises which resulted the downfall of their cabinets due to a public discontent such as the economy, immigration, and defense since June 2024. Oceania World leaders ==Assassinations and attempts==
Assassinations and attempts
File:Qasem Soleimani with Zolfaghar Order (cropped).jpg | Qasem Soleimani File:Marshal Idriss Deby Itno (cropped).png|Idriss Déby File:Kelly Craft poses a photo with Haitian President Moise (cropped).jpg|Jovenel Moïse File:Shinzō Abe 20120501 (cropped).jpg|Shinzo Abe File:Ayman al-Zawahiri portrait.JPG|Ayman al-Zawahiri File:Amir Muhammad Sa’id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla 4x5 portrait.jpg|Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi File:Евгений Пригожин (09-08-2016) (cropped 2).jpg|Yevgeny Prigozhin File:Official Presidential Portrait of President Donald J. Trump (2025).jpg|Donald Trump File:Ismail Haniyeh 2024 portrait 3x4.jpg|Ismail Haniyeh File:Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah 06 (4x5 cropped).jpg|Hassan Nasrallah File:Yahya Sinwar portrait 3x4.jpg|Yahya Sinwar File:Miguel Uribe 2019 (cropped 3).jpg |Miguel Uribe Turbay File:Melissa Hortman at One Minnesota Budget Bill Signing (cropped 2).jpg|Melissa Hortman File:Charlie Kirk (54670526319) (cropped 3).jpg|Charlie Kirk File:Нардеп Андрій Парубій з Романом Червінським перед засіданням в Шевченківському суді м.Києва (cropped).jpg|Andriy Parubiy File:Saif al-Islam Gaddafi 2021.png|Saif al-Islam Gaddafi File:Meeting of the families of the martyrs of the authority with the Leader of the Revolution on the birthday of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) 36 (khamenei.ir, 2026) (cropped 1).jpg |Ali Khamenei File:Ali Larijani 2025 (cropped 3).jpg |Ali Larijani File:Ashtiani-Khatib-Rahimi 2024 (cropped) 2 (cropped).jpg |Esmaeil Khatib Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts include: ==Disasters==
Disasters
Non-natural disasters Aviation File:Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (10).jpg|Wreckage of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in Shahriar County, Iran File:东航MU5735班机坠毁现场.jpg|The crash site of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 in Wuzhou, China File:Jeju Air flight 2216, Muan Int'l Airport, 29 December 2024 16.png|Aftermath of Jeju Air Flight 2216 in Muan International Airport, Jeju, South Korea File:The Union Minister of Home Affairs & Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah visits the crash site of Air India Flight 171.jpg|Destroyed buildings aftermath of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, India General Fires Rail Note: This section reports rail disasters involving at least 15 fatalities. File:2021年太魯閣列車出軌事故 01 (cropped).jpg|Aftermath of the 2021 derailment in Hualien County, Taiwan File:Incidente Línea 12 Ciudad México 2021 (2).jpg|Wreckage of the collapsed Mexico City Metro train in Mexico City, Mexico File:Members of National Disaster Response Forces at the site of rail accident near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station.jpg|Aftermath of the 2023 Odisha train collision in Odisha, India. File:Así fue el accidente de un funicular en Lisboa.png|Wreckage of the funicular involved in the 2025 Ascensor da Glória derailment in Lisbon, Portugal File:2026 01 19.20 Accidente ferroviario de Adamuz 03 (cropped).jpg|Wreckage of a train involved in the 2026 Adamuz rail disaster in Adamuz, Spain Natural disasters Earthquakes and tsunamis Note: This table is a chronological list of earthquakes reported with 7.5 or greater or that have reported at least 100 fatalities. File:A damaged building in Antakya.jpg|An earthquake-damaged building in Antakya, Turkey in February 2023. File:Amerzeggan ⴰⵎⵔⵣⴳⴳⴰⵏ viyaedje distrût hosmint tere Hawse.jpg|The Imi N'Tala village was heavily destroyed by the Marrakesh-Safi earthquake in September 2023. File:R6 noto earthquake wajima burned-out-asaichi-area 2024-02-17 10.jpg|Aftermath of the earthquake at Wajima morning market in January 2024. File:2025 Myanmar earthquake damage in Mandalay (1).png|An earthquake-damaged buildings in Mandalay, Myanmar in March 2025. File:Search Retrieval Cebu Quake, 2025.png|The Philippine Army joined the rescue efforts after the earthquake in Cebu in October 2025. Tropical cyclones Tornadoes Floods, avalanches, and mudslides Note: This section reports only floods with 200 or more deaths and avalanches and landslides involving 30 or more deaths. File:Henan floods 2021-07-20 CNS.webm|CNS video report of the floods depicting Henan Province, China File:2024-11-02 Voluntaris per netejar camí de Sedaví 05.jpg|Aftermath of the Spanish floods at Sedaví, Horta Sud in October 2024. File:Flooding of the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas in 2025.jpg|Aftermath of the Central Texas floods near Hunt, Texas, Horta Sud in July 2025. Volcanic eruptions Droughts, heat waves, and wildfires Biological disasters Other natural events Beginning in 2019 until 2022, a huge swarm of desert locusts threatened to engulf massive portions of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. ==Economics==
Economics
The 2020s were marked by economic troubles, beginning from the COVID-19 recession was a major global economic crisis which has caused both a recession in some nations, and in others a depression. The economic crisis began due to the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first major sign of a recession was the collapse of markets during the 2020 stock market crash, which began in late February and lasted through March. As of September 2020, every advanced economy is in a recession or depression, whilst all emerging economies are in recession. Modeling by the World Bank suggests that in some regions a full recovery will not be achieved until 2025 or beyond. Due to the 2021–2023 inflation surge, many countries reported the highest inflation rates in decades. The inflation surge has been attributed to various causes, including pandemic-related economic dislocation; the fiscal and monetary stimulus provided in 2020 and 2021 by governments and central banks around the world in response to the pandemic were also instrumental. The effect of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on global oil prices, natural gas, fertilizer, and food prices further exacerbated the situation. Debate arose over whether inflationary pressures were transitory or persistent, and to what extent price gouging was a factor. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the 2026 Iran war caused the largest oil price increases since 2022. Stock markets experienced declines, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling over 400 points on 2 March. Broader economic forecasts warned of inflationary pressures and slowed global growth if the conflict prolonged. American technology billionaires are largely the wealthiest individuals in the world, including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Jensen Huang. Jensen Huang is the CEO of Nvidia, the most valuable company in the world, and the wealthiest person of Asian descent. Alice Walton is the wealthiest woman in the world. Elon Musk became the first person to reach a net worth of $500 billion, becoming the wealthiest person in human history, and may become the first trillionaire by 2030. Tesla shareholders approved a $1 trillion pay plan for Musk in November 2025, provided Tesla achieves certain financial milestones. Trade The World Trade Organization reported that trade growth had stagnated and that trade restrictions were increasing as the decade began. The sectors most affected by import restrictions were mineral and fuel oils (17.7%), machinery and mechanical appliances (13%), electrical machinery and parts (11.7%), and precious metals (6%). Regional trade agreements were also found to be increasing. United States President Donald Trump announced 2 April 2025 to be "liberation day", beginning to enforce tariffs on numerous nations in the following week. This triggered an ongoing economic trade war as well as the 2025 stock market crash. It is currently the largest decline in the global stock market since the 2020 stock market crash, which was part of a recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From January to April 2025, the average applied US tariff rate rose from 2.5% to an estimated 27%—the highest level in over a century. The Supreme Court of the United States heard the case Learning Resources v. Trump on 5 November 2025 to determine the legality of some of Trump's tariffs. On 20 February 2026, the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump's tariffs. Trump's tariffs represented a repudiation of neoliberalism and free trade, instead returning to mercantilism and protectionism. Tariffs have a long history in the United States, dating back to the Import-Export Clause of the U.S. Constitution and even the Navigation Acts when the United States was a British colony. The Israeli–United States war against Iran in 2026 caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime shipping, impacting about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas production. It became the largest energy market disruption since the 1970s energy crisis, and the largest disruption of the global oil market in history, surpassing the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. ==Health==
Health
Epidemics/Outbreaks Pandemics ==Science and technology==
Science and technology
Below are the most significant scientific developments of each year, based on the annual Breakthrough of the Year award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science journal Science. • 2020: COVID-19 vaccine, developed and tested at record speed • 2021: An AI brings protein structures to all • 2022: James Webb Space Telescope debut • 2023: GLP-1 Drugs anorectic drugs • 2024: Lenacapavir antiretroviral medication used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS Artificial intelligence emerged in the 2020s. Generative AI such as Text-to-image models and AI chatbots released publicly. Machine learning systems that took minute(s) to produce blurry images in mid 2022 were able to produce more realistic imagery in seconds by mid 2023. English text would appear as gibberish in earlier AI text-to-image builds, although this was fixed to an extent with newer AI models such as DALL-E 3. The AI boom is an ongoing period of rapid progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that started in the late 2010s before gaining international prominence in late 2022 with the public release of ChatGPT and DeepSeek in early 2025. Examples include large language models and generative AI applications developed by OpenAI as well as protein folding prediction led by Google DeepMind. This period is sometimes referred to as an AI spring, to contrast it with previous AI winters. • DeepMind solves the protein folding problem to 90 percent accuracy, a 50-year-old grand challenge, at CASP14 in 2020. • Text-to-image AI art systems such as DALL-E (1, 2, and 3) and Stable Diffusion are capable of generating highly detailed and realistic images from text prompts. • Large language models, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Meta's Llama became widely adopted in 2023 and 2024. • In early 2024, OpenAI released a new technology called Sora (text-to-video model), a video model generates short video clips based on user prompts, and can also extend existing short videos. Sora was released publicly for ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Pro users in December 2024. This has revolutionized the video industry, since this machine generates videos in shorter time, leading to more companies adopting AI videos, with Coca-Cola Christmas commercial being the first one to do so. Communications and electronics5G became increasingly widespread during the decade. • By 2020, 3D printing had reached decent quality and affordable pricing which allowed many people to own 3D printers. • 8K resolution and 4K resolution becomes prevalent in consumer electronics. Spaceflight The trend towards cost reduction in access to orbit is expected to continue. Vulcan is replacing its more expensive predecessors. Since 2023, SpaceX is testing its fully reusable Starship with orbital missions. In 2024, Blue Origin plans the maiden flight of New Glenn with a reusable first stage and Ariane 6 is expected to replace the retired more expensive Ariane 5. Mars stays a focus for missions to other planets, with three missions launched in 2020 (by China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States) and at least one mission planned for 2024, 2026 and 2028. In 2028, as part of the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission, NASA plans to launch a Sample Retrieval Lander. In 2027, ESA plans to launch the Earth Return Orbiter, which will transport the retrieved samples from Mars to Earth by 2033. China is also planning to retrieve samples from Mars by 2031. NASA plans a return of humans to the Moon by 2028. The first uncrewed launch of the Space Launch System happened in 2022. The first crewed launch, a lunar flyby, occurred in April 2026. NASA is aiming toward a 2028 lunar landing. India plans to launch its first crewed flight with a spacecraft called Gaganyaan on a home-grown GSLV Mark III rocket in 2025. The mission would make India the fourth nation to launch a crewed spaceflight after Russia, the US and China. India also plans to launch its second Mars probe, Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (Mangalyaan 2). The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021. NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will have a field of view 100 times larger than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, between October 2026 and May 2027. NASA's NEO Surveyor, scheduled to launch no later than June 2028, is expected to be capable of detecting at least 90% of near-Earth objects larger than , a goal mandated by the US Congress in 2005. The number of small satellites launched annually was expected to grow to around one thousand (2018 estimate), mainly communication satellites in large constellations but launches quickly exceeded this estimate, mainly due to the rapid deployment of the Starlink and OneWeb constellations. From 2020 to 2022, around 3500 Starlink satellites and 500 satellites by OneWeb were launched. The number of total satellites reached 10,000 for the first time in 2024. Software and electronic platforms • Support for Adobe Flash Player ended on 31 December 2020. • Windows 11 is released on 5 October 2021, succeeding Windows 10. • Support for Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) ended on 15 June 2022. • ESU support for Windows 7 and extended support for Windows 8.1 and Windows RT ended on 10 January 2023. Some versions of Windows 10, such as Windows 10 2106 LTSB are already out of mainstream support, some versions are out of all support, and others soon on, i.e. 14 October 2025, while some Enterprise versions will be supported longer. Technology • The BBC reports that for the "first time someone who has had a complete cut to their spinal cord has been able to walk freely... because of an electrical implant that has been surgically attached to his spine". • Sales of electric vehicles have grown significantly and this is expected to continue through the decade. • NFTs as a form of digital art emerged in the 2020s, with NFTs such as Everydays: the First 5000 Days. The NFT market experienced rapid growth during 2020, with its value tripling to million. In the first three months of 2021, more than million were spent on NFTs, and in the early months of 2021, interest in NFTs increased after a number of high-profile sales and art auctions. However, by 2022 this market was in the process of rapid collapse. A report in September 2023 concluded that 95% of collected NFTs now possess zero market value, and that "79% of all NFT collections remain unsold". ==Society==
Society
Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Medical experts advised, and local authorities often mandated stay-at-home orders to prevent gatherings of any size. Such gatherings would be replaced by teleconferencing, or in some cases with unconventional attempts to maintain social distancing with activities such as a balcony sing-along for a concert, or a "birthday parade" for a birthday party. Replacements for gatherings were seen as significant to mental health during the crisis. Social isolation among alcohol users also adopted a trend towards Kalsarikänni or "pantsdrunking", a Finnish antisocial drinking culture. Low-income individuals were more likely to contract the coronavirus and to die from it. In both New York City and Barcelona, low-income neighborhoods were disproportionately hit by coronavirus cases. Hypotheses for why this was the case included that poorer families were more likely to live in crowded housing and work in jobs deemed essential during the crisis, such as supermarkets and elder care. In the United States, millions of low-income people may lack access to health care due to being uninsured or underinsured. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance after losing their jobs. Many low-income workers in service jobs became unemployed. The coronavirus pandemic was followed by a concern for a potential spike in suicides, exacerbated by social isolation due to quarantine and social-distancing guidelines, fear, and unemployment and financial factors. Many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence attributed to lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial insecurity, stress, and uncertainty led to increased aggression at home, with abusers able to control large amounts of their victims' daily life. Midlife crisis is a major concern in domestic violence, social implications and suicides for middle-aged adults amid the pandemic. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a domestic violence and midlife crisis "ceasefire". Population • The population of Egypt reached 100 million in February 2020. • The world population reached 8 billion in November 2022. • Population growth, life expectancy and birth rates declined globally in the early 2020s, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. • India surpassed China and became the most-populous country in April 2023. Gender 24.3% of all national parliamentarians were women as of February 2019. 11 women were serving as head of state and 12 as head of government in June 2019. 20.7% of government ministers were women as of January 2019. There are wide regional variations in the average percentages of women parliamentarians. As of February 2019, these were: Nordic countries, 42.5%; Americas, 30.6%; Europe excluding Nordic countries, 27.2%; sub-Saharan Africa, 23.9%; Asia, 19.8%; Arab States, 19%; and the Pacific, 16.3%. Rwanda has the highest number of women parliamentarians worldwide, 61.3% of seats in the lower house. About 26% of elected local parliamentarians are women. Many states swore in their first female leaders during the 2020s, including Presidents Katerina Sakellaropoulou (Greece), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Sandra Mason (Barbados), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Katalin Novák (Hungary), Dina Boluarte (Peru), Nataša Pirc Musar (Slovenia), Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (North Macedonia) and Prime Ministers Rose Christiane Raponda (Gabon), Victoire Tomegah Dogbé (Togo), Kaja Kallas (Estonia), Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa (Samoa), Robinah Nabbanja (Uganda), Najla Bouden (Tunisia), Magdalena Andersson (Sweden), Giorgia Meloni (Italy), Judith Suminwa (DRC), Chairwoman Borjana Krišto (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Sanae Takaichi (Japan). Despite this, nearly all of the world's wealthiest individuals (mostly American technology billionaires) are male, as are the heads of state of most countries. The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative—involving 30 fund management companies managing $9 trillion—pledged investment portfolios to be carbon-neutral by 2050. In July 2024, in each month in a 12-month period (through June 2024), Earth's average temperature exceeded 1.5 °C above the pre-industrial baseline, and the highest daily global average temperature is recorded at , surpassing the previous record of on 6 July 2023. • Team Seas is an international collaborative fundraiser founded by YouTubers Mark Rober and MrBeast on 29 October 2021, as a follow-up to Team Trees. The fundraiser's aim was to raise US$30 million to remove 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean by the end of the year. They also partnered with the Ocean Cleanup and the Ocean Conservancy. • Members of the United Nations agree on a legal framework for the High Seas Treaty on 4 March 2023, which aims to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030. LGBTQ rights • A law allowing third gender option on driver licenses took effect in New Hampshire. • Switzerland banned discrimination based on sexuality due to a referendum, putting into effect a law previously introduced in 2018, that was subsequently blocked by the government that requested a referendum to be held on the matter first. • In Northern Ireland, the first same-sex marriage took place after legalizing legislation took effect in January 2020. • In Costa Rica, same-sex marriage and joint adoption by same-sex couples became legal on 26 May 2020. • The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that job discrimination against workers for their sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal. • In Argentina, nonbinary ID cards with an "X" gender marker started to be issued by the Ministry of the Interior. • The U.S State Department issued its first ever passport with an "X" gender marker in October 2021, intended to support nonbinary people. • Same-sex marriage became legal in Switzerland after a 2021 referendum, enforced beginning in July 2022. • In Chile, same-sex marriage and joint adoption by same-sex couples became legal on 10 March 2022. • Same-sex marriage became legal in Slovenia on 8 July 2022 after the Constitutional Court of Slovenia ruled that the ban on same-sex marriages violated the national constitution. • Same-sex marriage became legal in Cuba on 27 September 2022 after the Cuban Family Code referendum passed. • By October 2022, Mexico City and all Mexican states had legalized same-sex marriage, either by legislation, executive action, or Supreme Court order. • On 1 January 2024, same-sex marriage became legal in Estonia. ==Global goals and issues==
Global goals and issues
Development in global goals and issues—including goals or progress related to the largest causes of human death—during the decade, according to reports that systematically track, quantify or review associated progress. As of 2022: • Progress of the Paris Agreement or global climate change mitigation goals • The United in Science 2022 report by the WMO, summarizes latest climate science-related updates and assesses recent climate change mitigation progress as "going in the wrong direction". • A report by the World Resources Institute assesses the state of nationally determined contributions (NDCs), finding they need to be strengthened by about six times for alignment with what may be enough to reach the Paris Agreement's 1.5 °C goal. The UNFCCC's NDC synthesis report suggests that based on the latest NDCs the carbon budget for a 50% likelihood of limiting warming to 1.5 °C would be used up by around 2032. • A Lancet Countdown report publishes data of indicators that show "countries and companies continue to make choices that threaten the health and survival of people in every part of the world". It calls for an immediate, health-centred response at a critical juncture of recovery from crises. • The WMO reports atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, all reached record highs, with methane concentrations showing a record jump in 2021. The WMO Secretary-General concludes that "we are heading in the wrong direction", with time "running out". • Climate Action Tracker systematically assesses the state of progress of actions of climate goals in an overview, finding that none of the indicators is on track to reach their 2030 targets, with insufficient speed for six indicators, and well below the required pace for 21, five heading in the wrong direction, and data being insufficient to evaluate the remaining eight. • The UNEP's Emissions Gap Report finds that no credible "pathway" to the 1.5 °C climate goal is in place. Similarly, a UNFCCC synthesis about "long-term low-emission development strategies" warns that many net-zero targets "remain uncertain and postpone into the future critical action that needs to take place now". • Deforestation mitigation goals • An annual report by the World Resources Institute shows that tropical regions lost 9.3 million acres of primary old-growth forest in 2021, a decline of 11% from 2020, and about equal to both 2018 and 2019. • The Forest Declaration Assessment finds that a drop of only 6.3% in deforestation in 2021 is "leaving the world off track from its goals of ending forest loss by 2030". • Public health goals • The UN's "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World" report finds that the number of people affected by hunger globally rose by 46 million to 828 million in 2021. 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, an increase of 112 million from 2019. • A WHO report indicates collective progress toward a 15% relative reduction in population levels of physical inactivity by 2030 is insufficient and that about 500 million people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other diseases if they don't increase their physical activity. • Global budgets and government spending • The OECD and IEA report that global public subsidies for fossil fuels almost doubled from 2020 to $700bn in 2021. • General well-being • The Club of Rome, authors of the 1972 The Limits to Growth, and research institutes like the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research publish the "Earth for All" report, concluding that to increase the wellbeing of humanity, addressing rising inequality is key to mitigating related issues such as climate change with many current policies disproportionately burdening lower income groups. • Sustainable Development Goals (other than the above or in general) • The only UN report that monitors global progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development indicates the agenda is in "grave danger". • GDP-alternative progress or sustainable development indices • Human Development Index (HDI): the Human Development Report 2021-22 concludes that for the first time, the global HDI value declined for a second year, with living standards declining in 90% of countries. ==Popular culture==
Popular culture
File:PS5Digitalprerefined.jpg|The ninth generation of video game consoles, like PlayStation 5 (pictured) and Xbox Series X, were both released in 2020. Games for PlayStation 5 such as FC 24, The Matrix Awakens, and Overwatch 2 used HyperMotion and Unreal Engine 5 to display more realistic graphics. Grand Theft Auto VI is planned for release on ninth-generation consoles in 2026. File:TikTok exhibition stand at Gamescom 2022 in Cologne, Germany (52760217055).jpg|The video-sharing site TikTok became a major influence on pop culture and the music industry in the early 2020s. Short-form videos have increased in viewership through Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts during the decade. File:101 Albright Way.jpg|The streaming wars got bigger in the 2020s as many new streaming services such as Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Paramount+ competed against Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. File:Karine Jean-Pierre is joined by the cast of Ted Lasso for a press briefing (52834074267).jpg|The decade saw popularized TV shows of the decade such as Ted Lasso (the cast being pictured above), Squid Game, The Boys, The Mandalorian, Wednesday, Peacemaker, Shōgun, Severance, Euphoria, Abbott Elementary, Nobody Wants This, and Only Murders in the Building. File:Airpods and Airpods Pro being displayed in electronics retail store.jpg|AirPods have dominated the wireless headphone market in the early 2020s. Pictured are the base and "Pro" model of AirPods respectively. AirPods allow users to be several feet away from their device via Bluetooth, a technology not seen in wired earbuds of previous decades. File:ALTer EGO 1 18 2020 (50740816801).jpg|Flashy multi-colored clothing became a trend in the early 2020s, as did baggier clothing such as hoodies, modeled here by musician Billie Eilish. The 2020s revived and built upon Y2K fashion trends. File:Food delivery robots in Espoo.jpg|In the 2020s, multiple online food delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, and Just Eat Takeaway became popular, becoming popular during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Food delivery robots also became popular in the 2020s and were finally to the point they could be used to deliver food around larger areas such as college campuses. File:Bluey entertains the crowds at Under 5s Day.jpg|Bluey became one of the most popular cartoons of the 2020s, along with Hazbin Hotel, Harley Quinn, Invincible, Love, Death & Robots, Arcane, The Owl House, Smiling Friends, Kiff, ''X-Men '97, and the web series The Amazing Digital Circus''. File:Crypto.com arena drone shot early 2023.jpg|The use of cryptocurrency became more mainstream in the 2020s, Crypto such as Bitcoin and others were notable. The Staples Center was even renamed Crypto.com Arena in 2021. NFTs as a form of digital art emerged in the 2020s, with NFTs such as Everydays: the First 5000 Days. File:Galaxy Z series.jpg|5G was introduced in smartphones during the early part of the decade, with the Samsung Galaxy Flip and iPhone 12 smartphones having 5G capabilities. Foldable smartphones also became more popular, although concern grew about the durability of a legacy devices. File:Chatgpt-screenshot.png|Advancements in AI have been rapid and fast-paced in the 2020s. Generative AIs have become mainstream during the decade, with synthetic media in the form of Text-to-image models, DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and Audio deepfakes. Additionally, AI has been used for video creation, such as with Sora. File:Ambassador Burns speaks to a woman in front of a robot.jpg|The Fourth Industrial Revolution in the 2020s is referred to as industrial change with emerging technologies such as AI, gene editing, and advanced robotics that blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. Automation also continues to take over human jobs. Above is a photo of a Tesla Bot, which Tesla, Inc. hopes to begin selling by 2027. File:Seattle - Lime Bike - 01.jpg|Renewable energy sources such as electric vehicles as well as solar- and wind-powered devices to combat global warming became popular during the 2020s. Scooter-sharing systems have become common in the street scene of the 2020s (especially in downtown areas), with Lime becoming popular. File:French Hill hosts AR teachers on zoom call.jpg|The early 2020s started with a rise in videoconferencing due to the pandemic, while many educational institutions and workplaces shifted to distance learning and remote work during and after the pandemic. Large-scale video conferencing became a reality and more common during the 2020s. File:Marcha de la "Generación Z", 15 de Noviembre - 54932910234.jpg|Gen Z society grown in pop culture, such as idolization promotions and community campaigns. The Straw Hat Pirates' Jolly Roger flag from One Piece as the symbol of the chaotic Gen Z protests spread worldwide as well as media partnerships like the Operation Polaris Cross (CyberAgentKonami agreement) and a controversial Warner–Paramount merger in Japan and the US. File:Cosplay of Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba at FanimeCon 2023 (53056120458).jpg|Popular Japanese media franchises such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Oshi no Ko, Frieren, Attack on Titan, Spy × Family, Dr. Stone, One Piece, Umamusume, Blue Lock, and Mashle reaching large international audiences and fans used for crossover works during the Reiwa era. File:AN19 - Undertale & Deltarune - Saturday (33 of 35) (48217382722).jpg|The 2020s saw the online fandom boom, franchises including Deltarune, KPop Demon Hunters, Genshin Impact, Hazbin Hotel, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage!, Umamusume, The Amazing Digital Circus, and Heated Rivalry became highly organized and influential in the Gen Z digital culture. File:HCCD25 - TADC group.jpg|Independent animation entered the mainstream in the 2020s with shows such as The Amazing Digital Circus, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Murder Drones, and Lackadaisy. File:空から見た大阪・関西万博2025.jpg|The decade saw the rise of eco-friendly wooden architecture, such as the Grand Ring by Sou Fujimoto as the symbol of the famous Expo 2025 held between April and October 2025 in Osaka. File:Sagrada Família side view.jpg|Sagrada Familia in Barcelona became the world's tallest church when a part of its central tower was lifted into place and reached 162.91 m, surpassing Ulm Minster, made by Antonio Gaudi's longtime legacy of the construction progress since 1882. File:Épreuve Athlétisme Jeux Olympiques 2024 Stade France - Saint-Denis (FR93) - 2024-08-02 - 138.jpg|Summer Olympic Games of the 2020s include Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028, as well as Tokyo 2020 in 2021 (the first ever Olympic games to be delayed, taking place in 2021 instead of 2020); The Winter Olympic Games of the decade included Beijing in 2022 and Milan-Cortina in 2026. File:Super Nintendo World (Universal Studios Japan).png|The 2020s was a more profitable era for movies based on video games. The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel surpassed $2 billion, and Nintendo plans to open a group of international theme parks called Super Nintendo World and a Nintendo Museum between 2021 and 2025. File:Barbenheimer - July 2023.jpg|Barbenheimer, consisting of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer, was the double feature phenomenon released on the same day in July 2023, which both films became critically and commercially successful. Other films from the decade included Everything Everywhere All at Once, Wicked, Dune, Top Gun: Maverick, Sinners, M3GAN, RRR, and Hundreds of Beavers. File:AR- Apple Vision Pro (2023).png|Apple Vision Pro, which was released in 2024, marks an advancement in spatial computing and mixed reality headsets. The device intends to merge physical and digital environments, overlaying computer graphics on each individual user's real-world environments. File:Monkey in the Matrix (52536941713).jpg|During the 2020s, the idea of brain implants existed in an early, limited form. The company Neuralink and a research group demonstrated the ability for a monkey to move a computer cursor with neural signals, typing coherent sentences. File:Cloud Logo.png|Cloud computing has surged in popularity following and during the global pandemic of 2020. Cloud computing allows for data to be stored in data centers and looked up on any device, rather than the photos, notes, etc. of a device being restricted to just that device. File:Sustainable Development Goals.svg|The Sustainable Development Goals promote seventeen interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future". Pictured above is a diagram listing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are intended to be completed by the end of the 2020s. File:Meta Headquarters Sign.jpg|Social media rebranding occurred during the 2020s, with Facebook, Inc. and Twitter changing their names to Meta Platforms and X (though many people continue to call it Twitter). New social platforms such as Threads and Bluesky also launched. File:The White House - 54437612258.jpg|Japanese baseball player Shohei Otani became one of the most popular sports figures during the decade, following the victory of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2024 World Series, and again in 2025 followed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto who won the World Series MVP. File:Argentina 3-3 Francia - Copa Mundial 2022 - Argentina campeón.jpg|Football domination continued during the decade, including Argentina won over France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé became one of the famous footballers of the decade. Fashion The fashion of the early 2020s was characterized by a variety of styles and influences from different eras. During this period, the trend towards individuality and self-expression in clothing continued. Young millennials and Generation Z has witnessed and enjoyed a notable resurgence of fashion styles from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s in the fashion industry. A prominent example of this is the revival of trends such as crop tops, baggy jeans, and elements from the Y2K aesthetic. In the 2020s, many companies, including current fast fashion giants such as Shein and Temu, began using social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram as a marketing tool. Marketing strategies involving third parties, particularly influencers and celebrities, have become prominent tactics. E-commerce platforms that promote small businesses, such as Depop and Etsy, grew by offering vintage, homemade, or resold clothing from individual sellers. Thrifting also exploded in popularity because of the potential to find valuable pieces of clothing at cheaper prices. Film 's Avatar: The Way of Water and Jiaozi's Ne Zha 2. The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted film releases especially early in the decade, resulting in a drastic drop in box office revenue as well as many films postponing their release or shifting it to a streaming services. Avatar: The Way of Water is the highest-grossing film of the decade so far, and currently the third-highest-grossing film of all time. Other financially successful films at the box office include Top Gun: Maverick, Dune and its sequel Dune: Part Two, and Wicked. Superhero films mostly continued to do well financially, such as most successes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, continuing with its "Multiverse Saga" (accompanied with a series of shows and specials created exclusively on Disney+ which interconnect with the films). Several successful horror films included M3GAN, the X trilogy, Barbarian, and Sinners. In 2023, the films Barbie and Oppenheimer were both released on the same day, which led to the creation of the double feature phenomenon known as "Barbenheimer". Both films became critically and commercially successful with both receiving a nomination for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards, and the latter winning both the award and nabbing Christopher Nolan's first Best Director award. Critically successful films nominated for awards include Nomadland, CODA, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Hundreds of Beavers, Licorice Pizza, The Fabelmans, Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, Elvis, Belfast, The Power of the Dog, Poor Things, Anora, The Substance, RRR, Better Man, The Brutalist, All Quiet on the Western Front, A Complete Unknown, One Battle After Another, and Anatomy of a Fall. Critically successful animated films include Wolfwalkers, Encanto, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Inside Out 2, Ne Zha 2, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Boy and the Heron, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, ''Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Nimona, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Luca, Once Upon a Studio, KPop Demon Hunters, The Wild Robot, Robot Dreams, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, Memoir of a Snail, Flow, Suzume, Scarlet, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, Flee, Jumbo, Zootopia 2, The First Slam Dunk, Hoppers, Chicken for Linda!''. 2025 became the year of highest-grossing animated films in Asia, such as Ne Zha 2 and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, to gross $3 billion in a successful box office of the year, Japanese anime films became dominant for 15 years since Arrietty (2010). Television The 2020s started off with streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, HBO Max, Showtime, Crunchyroll, Hayu, Peacock, DAZN, and Disney+. Ad-supported streaming televisions such as Pluto TV and YouTube TV also became more popular. During a live broadcast of the 94th Academy Awards in 2022, audiences across the auditorium and at home watched in shock as actor and musician Will Smith, who was nominated for, and won, Best Actor that evening for his performance in the biographical film King Richard, slapped comedian and actor Chris Rock, who was presenting Best Documentary Feature, across the face after making a joke about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Following that ceremony's incident, after receiving his Oscar, Smith was suspended from the academy for ten years. Billions of people watched the death and state funeral of Elizabeth II in 2022 and the 2024 Summer Olympics coverage in Paris speculated to be the most watched special television events in history. Animated Japanese anime continued to rise in global popularity and appeal during the decade, with works such as Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Beastars, Chainsaw Man, Spy × Family, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, ''Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, Oshi no Ko, Baki, Delicious in Dungeon, Record of Ragnarok, Frieren, Dandadan, Solo Leveling, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Tokyo Revengers, Vinland Saga, Witch Watch, Kaiju No. 8, Gachiakuta, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Sakamoto Days, Attack on Titan, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and One Piece'' reaching large international audiences. New and critically acclaimed teen and adult animated shows like Harley Quinn, Hazbin Hotel, Primal, Love, Death & Robots, Blood of Zeus, Invincible, Arcane, Devil May Cry, and Smiling Friends, as well as the web series The Amazing Digital Circus, were launched in the 2020s, along with other animated shows such as Bluey, Batwheels, Hilda, The Owl House, Kiff, ''X-Men '97, Amphibia, and Star Wars: Visions''. Live-action A variety of shows on streaming services such as Squid Game, Severance, Never Have I Ever, Tulsa King, Ted Lasso, Beef, The Boys, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Only Murders in the Building, Wednesday, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Euphoria, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Heartstopper, Love, Victor, The Pitt, Shōgun, The Witcher, The White Lotus, Alice in Borderland, Hacks, The Diplomat, Yellowstone, The Last of Us, Succession, Heated Rivalry and Tiger King gained popularity. Many different shows on many different competing streaming services resulted in what has been called the "streaming wars" of the early 2020s. Miniseries also gained popularity such as ''The Queen's Gambit, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Daisy Jones & the Six, Beef, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Mrs. America, Mare of Easttown, and Pam & Tommy''. Also released in the 2020s, the reality game show The Traitors achieved popularity and became a global success. Several TV shows based on films include American Gigolo, The Penguin, live-action Star Wars series (such as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Andor), Peacemaker, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Ted. Music By 2020, TikTok, an online video service, had become extremely popular as a music platform on social media. Users on streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, and Apple Music have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Festivals such as Coachella were cancelled because of the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the touring business. The 2020s saw the continued impact of streaming on the record industry, a trend that began in the 2010s. Platforms like Spotify played a central role in shaping music trends, driving the success of both mainstream and emerging genres. Social media, particularly TikTok, further amplified music with viral trends, while popular genres like pop, hip-hop, R&B, rock music including pop punk and shoegaze, country, K-pop and indie music dominated the Billboard Hot 100 charts. At the same time, underground genres like hyperpop, plugg, jersey club, phonk and rage thrived in niche communities. Pop, hip-hop, rock music including pop punk and shoegaze, Eurodance, indies, K-pop, R&B, trance, and synth-pop all dominated the early part of the decade, with the most popular artists being Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa, Ice Spice, Charli XCX, the Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Playboi Carti, Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, and more. The early 20s also saw the one-off return of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones with a new song and album, respectively, which topped out the charts immediately upon release. 2022 saw a revival in Kate Bush's song "Running Up That Hill", due to its appearance in the Netflix series Stranger Things. Starting around 2023, country music has seen a rise in popularity with artists such as Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen topping the charts along with artists such as Beyoncé and Post Malone releasing country albums. Video games The ninth generation of consoles began in 2020. The industry remains dominated by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft with the release of the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5, while the Nintendo Switch continues to be popular from the previous decade. Technological advancements in consoles included support for real-time ray tracing graphics and output for 4K or even 8K resolution. Physical media continued to be replaced by online distribution of games, with the Xbox Series S and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition lacking an optical drive. During the decade PC gaming would continue growing rapidly with the console gaming market remaining more stagnant. The growing majority of video game developers would also primarily focus on developing their projects for PC. Mobile gaming remained the largest sector of the video game industry during the decade, accounting for roughly half of the industry's revenue. Critically successful games such as Elden Ring, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War Ragnarök, ''Baldur's Gate 3, Black Myth: Wukong, Astro Bot, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part II were released and won multiple best game of the year awards, signaling a shift towards narrative-driven and single-played focused gaming compared with the end of the 2010s where popularity of multiplayer gaming dominated. Nonetheless, widely successful multiplayer games includes Among Us, EA Sports FC, Call of Duty: Warzone, Fall Guys, Fate/Grand Order, Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, It Takes Two, Counter-Strike 2, Umamusume: Pretty Derby, Minecraft, Terraria, Roblox, Tetris Effect, Dead by Daylight, Overwatch 2, League of Legends, and Valorant'' surged in popularity in the decade and became a global sensation since the COVID-19 pandemic. The stadium and arena is also set to host the opening and closing ceremonies, aquatic events (swimming and diving), and basketball events for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in Los Angeles, California, United States. The developments in Port Melbourne, Victoria of the West Gate Tunnel continued from 2020, which is designed to provide an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, it is expected to be completed in 2025. The Unity Tower in Kraków was finally completed on 30 September 2020. The construction of the building originally started in 1975 but stopped permanently in 1981 because of economic constraints and political unrest at the time. Due to the unfinished building's resemblance to a skeleton, it was nicknamed after Skeletor, the arch-villain in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which was popular in Poland at the time construction began. Several developments in Saudi Arabia to achieve the Saudi Vision 2030, such as the 2034 FIFA World Cup stadiums, Qiddiya City, Neom's The Line, Jeddah Tower, Roshn, and Riyadh's Expo 2030 site. The Jeddah Tower would become the world's tallest building or structure, after a long-delayed construction progress and resumed in 2025, standing at least taller than the Burj Khalifa. The Grand Ring was built and designed by the Japanese firms Tohata Architects and Azusa Sekkei, the building became the symbol of the famous Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. It was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest architectural structure (certified area: 61,035.55 m2). Between October 2025 and February 2026, the Sagrada Família became the world's tallest church when a part of its central tower was lifted into place and reached 162.91 m, surpassing Ulm Minster (161.53 m), and the cathedral reached its final height of . The cathedral also became the longest period of construction history since 1882, and reached its maximum height though the magnum opus of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí's legacy remains years away from completion. Sports Since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted major sporting events led to the postponement and cancellations in the early-2020s, technological advances growing popularity throughout the decade like digital live broadcasts from the successful 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Football, horse racing, basketball, athletics, tennis, volleyball, baseball, and cricket became more popular for digital audiences during the decade. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation or rescheduling of numerous sporting events globally. The 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo were postponed to July–August 2021. This was the first Olympic Games to be postponed rather than cancelled in history since World War II. Zimbabwean sports administrator and politician Kirsty Coventry became the first woman, the first multicultural, and the first African President of the International Olympic Committee, following the resignation of Thomas Bach. She is also the second youngest person and second Olympic medallist to be elected to the position since Pierre de Coubertin and Thomas Bach, her achievements are focused on feminism and gender equality in sports. The International Olympic Committee has begun a new policy of authorizing up to 5 additional sports per edition of the Olympic Games, and this rule applies to both the Summer and Winter Games. This rule came into effect starting with the 2020 Summer Olympics. Football Football's popularity has continued global dominance, while also undergoing significant shifts due to various factors, Argentina and Spain won the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup by defeating France and England, with Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmatí winning the Golden Balls, while Hinata Miyazawa and Kylian Mbappé winning the Golden Boots. Baseball Baseball had a notable resurgence, particularly within its traditional strongholds, Japan and the United States. Japan defeated the United States in the 2023 World Baseball Classic with a score of 3–2, winning their 3rd title in the event. Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani was named the MVP of the tournament. He became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season and was unanimously named the 2024 National League MVP. Rivaling Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Ohtani led the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory in the 2024 World Series, and again in 2025 over Toronto Blue Jays. Venezuela had landslide victories over Japan and Italy in the quarterfinal and semifinal and won this year's World Baseball Classic tournament, beating the United States 3–2 in the 2026 World Baseball Classic championship, with Eugenio Suarez hitting a go-ahead double in the top of the 9th to clinch their first title. It was the first major international sporting competition won by Venezuela since the 1945 Amateur World Series, and the second time in Latin America since 2013. Maikel García of Venezuela was named the MVP of the tournament. The tournament has hit new high levels in attendance and US Television viewership: the 2023 attendance record was broken before the pool play was ended, and US viewership of the final hit 10 million viewers for the first time ever. Shohei Otani and Mookie Betts met with US president Donald Trump at the White House in April 2025. Basketball Shortly into the decade, on January 26, 2020, 5-time NBA champion, 2008 NBA MVP, two-time Olympic gold medallist and Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, died in a California helicopter crash along with seven other people. A number of tributes and memorials subsequently followed, and the All-Star Game MVP Award was renamed in Bryant's honour. Basketball has been characterized by significant global growth and dominance in strong youth engagement, the 2023 FIBA World Cup followed by Germany won by defeating Serbia. On February 7, 2023, LeBron James, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, scored his 38,388th career point in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. On the night of February 1–2, 2025, Luka Dončić was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in a three-team deal facilitated by the Utah Jazz. Food Food delivery apps such as Deliveroo, DoorDash, Instacart, Menulog, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Bolt Food, Wolt, and Just Eat Takeaway became more popular since to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indoor dining was also closed in many countries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and upon re-opening the usage of QR codes and other technologies in the restaurant industry increased compared to the 2010s in order to comply with pandemic restrictions. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, online grocery shopping has substantially grown and in the first few months of the pandemic, online grocery shopping increased by 300%. Before the pandemic occurred, food shopping activity accounted for 9% of the market, now 63% of consumers worldwide have purchased more groceries online after the outbreak than they did before they were socially isolated. Literature ==See also==
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