Literacy Statistics
This collection of selected literacy statistics have been drawn from various sources. For more detailed policy-related fact sheets on specific literacy issues, check our policy documents page.
The National Literacy Act of 1991 defines literacy as the “ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and develop one's knowledge and potential."Why Literacy Matters
- While few adults in the US are truly illiterate, there are an alarming number of adults who lack the literacy skills they need to find and keep decent jobs, support their children's education, and participate actively in civic life. Approximately 25 percent of Americans cannot address an envelope well enough to reach its destination due to lack of literacy skills. (Project READ, 1996)
- A parent's literacy level is one of the most significant predictors of a child's future literacy ability. Poor school acheivement and dropping out before completing school are commonplace among children of illiterate parents. (REACH Educational Foundation, 2003)
- Literacy has a profound impact on family income. Forty three percent of adults at the lowest level of literacy proficiency live in poverty compared with four percent of adults with strong literacy skills. (The State of Literacy in America, 1998)
- Low skills affect the business bottom line, as well: in order to stay competitive in the global economy, employers need workers who can read, write, compute, solve problems, and communicate well. American businesses are estimated to lose over $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' lack of basic skills. (U.S. Department of Education, 1998)
- There is a significant relationship between good health and literacy. According to the American Medical Association, low literacy is associated with poor understanding of written or spoken medical advice, adverse health outcomes, and negative effects on the health of the population. Adults with lower-than-average reading skills are less likely than other Americans to get potentially life-saving screening tests such as mammograms and Pap smears, to get flu and pneumonia vaccines, and to take their children for well child care visits. Moreover, it is estimated that low literacy costs the national health care system $73 billion annually. (American Medical Association, 2004)
- In one U.S. study, having a ninth-grade reading level or less appeared to double the risk of mortality among elderly people over a five-year period. (National Institute on Aging, 2006)
- Fifty percent of the nation's chronically unemployed are not functionally literate. (Ohio Literacy Resource Center, 2003)
Here in the District
- Literacy levels in the District are substantially lower than those in the nation overall. Low literacy levels keep many D.C. residents out of contention for decent paying jobs, and exclude them from participation and exclude them from training programs that can lead to better paying jobs.(D.C. State of the Workforce Report, 2003)
- In 2006, an independent study determined Washington D.C.'s graduation rate to be 58.9%. (Diplomas Count: An Essential Guide to Graduation Policy and Rates)
- The Mayor's Literacy Initiative has determined that District literacy programs are only serving about about 10% of the target population.(The Washington Post, 2003)
- Approximately 35% percent of DC's children live in poverty; such children generally enter school with basic skills lagging two or more years behind those of other children. Rates are higher among African American children, with 41% living in poverty. (Kids Count Annual Fact Book, 2003)
- Employers in D.C. report that the biggest barrier to hiring local adults is the lack of language and math skills. (Kids Count Annual Fact Book, 2000)
Turning the Tide
- There are not nearly enough resources or space in literacy programs to serve everyone who wants to improve their literacy. Yet the evidence strongly suggests that increasing support for adult literacy services will make a difference.
- As the education level of adults improves, so does their children's success in school. Helping low-literate adults improve their basic skills has a direct and measurable impact on both the education and quality of life of their children. In fact, it has been said that the most important, long term, educational intervention "program" for a child is a well-educated, financially comfortable parent or major caregiver.(Colorado Research Initiative, 2000)
- The World Health Organization found that the most effective way to promote children's health is to increase the literacy levels of their parents. (The World Health Organization, 2003)
- Improving basic education and literacy skills has resulted in long-term self-sufficiency for welfare recipients.(National Adult Literacy Survey)
- The re-arrest, reconviction, and re-incarceration rates for criminal offenders are lower for adults who participate in correctional education programs.(National Adult Literacy Survey)
(Statistics provided by the National Institute for Literacy, the National Adult Literacy Survey, the U. S. Department of Education, American Medical Association, The District of Columbia's State of the Workforce Report, Kids Count 7th Annual Fact Book 2000, National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce)
