The Causes of Supply Shortages in 2021

Nothing symbolizes the shortages of 2020/2021 better than toilet paper. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people started buying toilet paper like crazy. Image by Martin Thoma

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world hard in 2020 and 2021. As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve experienced several products not being available. For me, that was the first time in my life. It feels weird — and in some cases frightening.

Let’s explore what happened and why.

A Timeline of Shortages