Before the virus outbreak, most countries across the world recorded steady progress in building human capital – people's intangible assets such as the knowledge, skills and health benefits they accumulate – with the biggest strides made in low-income countries, the World Bank said in its 2020 Human Capital Index report. Those hard-won gains are now at risk and countries need to invest in the health and education of children to recover lost ground from the pandemic.

Despite the progress made before the Covid-19 outbreak, a child born in a typical country could expect to achieve just 56 per cent of their potential human capital, relative to a benchmark of complete education and full health, according to the analysis. "The pandemic puts at risk the [past] decade's progress in building human capital, including the improvements in health, survival rates, school enrollment and reduced stunting,” World Bank president, David Malpass, said. “Protecting and investing in people is vital as countries work to lay the foundation for sustainable, inclusive recoveries and future growth."