The Dow Jones Industrial Average’s largest one-day point drop during the 2020 COVID-19 crash was 2,997 points.
The fall occurred on March 16, 2020, when the Dow lost about 12.9 percent as investors reacted to the rapid spread of COVID-19, travel restrictions, business closures, and fears of a deep global recession. It was the largest point decline in the Dow’s history at that time.
The crash included four U.S. market-wide trading halts, known as circuit breakers, on March 9, March 12, March 16, and March 18. Central banks and governments introduced major monetary and fiscal responses. Markets later recovered strongly, although the economic effects of the pandemic continued well beyond the initial crash. The point loss is different from the day’s percentage loss, which is the more useful comparison across eras.