Crime

There is a clear correlation between low literacy rates and higher rates of crime. Individuals with low literacy are less likely to fully understand and follow laws, leading to a higher likelihood of getting into trouble with the law.

Educational Impact

Low literacy rates can lead to poor academic performance. In the United States, for example, 4 in 5 adults are literate, but literacy rates have not improved over time, revealing that US schools continue to underperform.

Health Impact

Low literacy can also impact health outcomes. Individuals with low literacy may have limited ability to make important informed decisions, such as understanding government policies, reading medicine or nutritional labels, and more.

Social Impact

Adults with low literacy skills are more likely to live in poverty, and one-third of adults with low literacy are unemployed.

Economic Impact

Lower literacy rates directly correlate to higher unemployment rates, reduced income, and overall impacts on competitiveness on the global stage 1 . Illiteracy and low levels of literacy can lead to welfare dependency, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of crime.

Trending Downward

In the fall of 2020, only 37% of kindergarteners in the United States were on track to learn to read, down from 55% a year earlier, and this trend continued across all elementary-school students.