Which global stock-market crash began on 9 March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The global crash that began on 9 March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic was the 2020 stock market crash. Markets had already become anxious about the virus’s economic effects, and the collapse of an oil-production agreement intensified the selloff.

On 9 March, major indexes suffered very large falls and trading was temporarily halted in the United States after market circuit breakers were triggered. Additional severe sessions followed on 12 March and 16 March as governments introduced travel restrictions, business closures, and other measures.

The downturn was exceptionally rapid, but it was followed by a powerful rebound after central banks cut rates, bought assets, and supplied liquidity while governments announced fiscal support. The speed of the recovery varied by country and sector.

This crash is distinct from the broader economic recession caused by the pandemic. It is also sometimes described as the COVID-19 crash, but the date-based name “2020 stock market crash” is the standard article title and avoids confusion with later pandemic-era market movements.